A study of more than 15,000 middle-aged participants who were investigated 25 years later showed that optimal hydration may help slow down the aging process in humans.
The research, as published in eBioMedicine, is significant because of a rapidly aging population and the emergence of chronic diseases epidemics.
“To estimate the relative speed of aging, we calculated the biological age (BA) from age-dependent biomarkers and assessed risks of chronic diseases and premature mortality,” according to the study’s authors.
“People whose middle-age serum sodium exceeds 142 mmol/l have increased risk to be biologically older, develop chronic diseases and die at younger age. Intervention studies are needed to confirm the link between hydration and aging.”
The study was funded by Intramural Research program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the NIH.
