136. Having certain health conditions as a teenager leads to faster aging later
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
New data shows that having certain health conditions as a teenager causes you to age faster as an adult. In the study, published last week in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, researchers tracked the health and behavior of over 900 people from age 3 to 45. They found that three conditions as an adolescent were associated with faster aging – smoking, obesity and psychological disorders. Participants who had two or more of these three health concerns walked more slowly, had a brain age over 2.5 years older, and a facial age over 4 years older than those who didn’t have those health concerns growing up. By identifying these health risks at an early age, doctors might be able to slow the aging process and improve patients’ health later in life.
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
