We’ve all seen it: one person in their 80s rides a bike, travels the world, and seems full of energy, while someone twenty years younger struggles with illness and frailty. Science shows that the aging process depends on a mix of genetics, lifestyle, environment, and social connections.
Researchers are now looking at why biological age often doesn’t match chronological age. Let’s review what science is uncovering about it and how new research might help predict and even change these outcomes.
What science reveals about aging
At Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Human Aging Project is studying why people age at such different rates. According to medicine specialist Jeremy Walston, around 15% of people in their 80s are frail and vulnerable, 60% face moderate health challenges, and the rest remain robust and active. The big question is what drives these different paths.
Researcher Rasika Mathias studies biological markers of aging, including telomeres, the protective ends of chromosomes that shorten over time. She uses whole-genome sequencing data through the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine program to study how genes interact with environmental influences. Beyond genetics, she emphasizes that stress, access to nutritious food, education, and chronic disease all shape how people age.
Geriatrician Thomas Cudjoe has shown that loneliness and isolation are linked to higher levels of inflammation in the body, including biomarkers like interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein. These are associated with heart disease, cognitive decline, and other long-term health problems. In his clinical work, Cudjoe has seen patients regain stability and health when reconnected to programs that restore social support.
Other researchers are looking at aging through hospital care. Esther Oh is studying delirium in older patients after surgery and has found that the severity and duration of delirium strongly influence health outcomes. By identifying biomarkers, her team hopes to help clinicians better predict who is at risk and intervene earlier.
How innovation and lifestyle shape the future of aging
Beyond biology and social factors, technology may have an impact in extending healthy years. Through the Gerotech Incubator Program at Johns Hopkins, engineering and medical students collaborate on projects designed to support older adults.
One group created InWave, a wearable device that uses brain monitoring and sound stimulation to improve deep sleep. Since poor sleep is linked to memory loss and conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, tools like this could help protect cognitive health as people age.
As for lifestyle decisions, regular exercise, balanced nutrition, quality sleep, and meaningful social relationships remain strongly tied to healthier aging. At the same time, new discoveries in genetics and technology are giving researchers the ability to better understand why two people of the same age can look and feel so different.
The ultimate goal, according to Human Aging Project researchers, isn’t just to extend life but to extend independence and quality of life. For now, science can’t predict with certainty who will age gracefully and who won’t, but with new research on genetics, social connection, and innovative technology, we’re getting closer to understanding why some 80-year-olds appear 60 while others in their 60s seem decades older.
