Iron stores in the body are linked to the rate of aging

Iron in the body is measured by several indicators: ferritin levels show how much is stored in the tissues, serum iron levels reflect the current amount of iron in the blood, and transferrin saturation indicates how actively it is transported.

However, iron in excess is a two-pronged stick. In excess, the element begins to trigger oxidative processes that damage cells and DNA. This can provoke serious diseases – from diabetes to heart and liver problems.

Special attention was paid by experts to biological age. It can be estimated by the length of telomeres (ends of chromosomes that shorten with age), as well as with the so-called epigenetic clock – technologies that analyze methyl tags on DNA.

More than 1,200 women around 56 years old took part in the analysis. All had three parameters checked: iron levels, transferrin saturation and ferritin levels. The results were compared with three DNA-related biomarkers of aging.

Interestingly, it was serum iron and transferrin saturation that were more often associated with delayed aging. In contrast, high ferritin levels were associated with accelerated biological processes of fading. It turns out that it is important not only how much iron is in the body, but also in what form it is.

Even with high transferrin saturation, if ferritin levels were elevated, biological aging was accelerated. This supports the hypothesis: iron accumulation can cause stress at the cellular level, which over time affects body functions.

At the same time, as the authors note, it is possible that the reverse is also true – inflammatory processes characteristic of aging and chronic disease may themselves reduce blood iron levels, creating the illusion of deficiency against the background of high reserves.

Although the study did not give direct instructions on how exactly to regulate iron to prolong youth, it clearly showed that the balance of this element is important not only for energy and immunity, but also for slowing down age-related changes.