Tulane University researchers are the first to demonstrate a biological link between insulin resistance, weight gain and signs of early aging in the blood. Obesity has long been known to result in early death, but researchers don't fully understand the process of aging at the cellular level. In a study published in this month's Circulation, Tulane University researchers demonstrate that people with insulin resistance and weight gain also have prematurely shortened white blood cell telomeres - a widely recognized sign of aging. Telomeres are part of each chromosome and naturally become shorter over time as cells multiply and reproduce.
?We know that obesity and insulin resistance place a physical burden on the body, leading to inflammation, the production of more blood to feed the body, and oxidative stress, all of which are important factors in the biology of aging,? says cardiologist Gerald Berenson, co-author of the study.
Insulin Resistance, Weight Gain Lead to Early Aging
