Pregnancy and aging

Each pregnancy costs up to two years of "cellular" life, scientists have found

Sergey Kolenov, Hi-tech+

Experts have long noted that mothers with many children age faster. Scientists from Northwestern University (USA) decided to determine the mechanism behind this pattern. To do this, they conducted a study on hundreds of young women from the Philippine island of Cebu, where it is customary to give birth to many children.

Scientists have studied two markers of cellular aging – telomere length and epigenetic clock (the degree of DNA–VM methylation). It turned out that the more pregnancies a woman had, the "older" these markers became. Even taking into account all other factors that can affect cell aging, the number of pregnancies remained in the first place in importance.

Researchers have suggested that the reason for this may be the transformation of the immune system that occurs during gestation.

Each additional pregnancy increased the cellular age by 0.5-2 years – this is an unexpectedly large amount. Another unexpected discovery was a short-term "rejuvenating" effect that was observed in cells during pregnancy, but disappeared after the birth of a child.

These conclusions are consistent with the results of epidemiological studies and analysis of medical histories. According to these data, mothers with many children live less and get sick more often than women who have given birth to no more than two children or are childless.

At the same time, the researchers stipulate that their study was conducted in a poor region, where physical activity can be high, and food is often not enough. Therefore, it is not necessary to transfer the conclusions directly to the whole of humanity yet. In developed countries, a high quality of life can significantly reduce the health risks associated with pregnancy.

The study in the Philippines was long-term: the first measurements were carried out in 2005, when most of the participants were 20-22 years old. Now the scientists intend to return to the island of Cebu, find the mothers and re-evaluate the age of their cells. The purpose of the repeated analysis is to check whether the observed pattern persists in more mature and older age.

If mothers with many children really suffer from problems with the immune system, then their problem can be solved. Researchers have found that drugs known as mTOR inhibitors can increase the resistance of older people to infections. Another way to "disperse" the immune system in old age is the human herpes virus of the fifth type (cytomegalovirus). Previously it was believed that it is harmful to health, but now scientists have come to the opposite conclusions.

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