Why do some people look older than they should?

Abstract

Background-As a component of studies on biological age, the age of subjects from their appearance (perceived age) was estimated. Objective-To determine the factors associated with looking older. Methods-Cross sectional study of London civil servants (318 men, 129 women) in the Department of the Environment study. Perceived age was recorded by an observer and the diVerence between this age and chronological age was analysed according to 20 diVerent variables. Results-Men had an average perceived age of 0.37 years older than their actual age and women a perceived age of 0.54 years younger. In men, looking older was related to greying of the hair, grade of arcus senilis, and grade of baldness. Less expected, looking older was positively related to total serum cholesterol (p=0.03) and blood haemoglobin (p<0.01). In women, looking older was related to greying of the hair, positively to blood erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and negatively to serum bilirubin (p=0.01). Looking older was not related to alcohol consumption, employment grade, serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, albumin, and calcium in either sex. Conclusion-The relationships between looking older and total cholesterol and haemoglobin in men and ESR and bilirubin in women, require further investigation. (Postgrad Med J 2001;77:578-581) Keywords: ageing; cholesterol; haemoglobin; erythrocyte sedimentation rate It is well recognised that people look older in the face when they have more than the expected number and extent of wrinkles and a corresponding lack of skin elasticity.1 Elastic fibres in the skin degenerate and thicken when the skin is exposed to sunlight.2 3 Warren et al reported that estimated age was increased by solar exposure in middle aged but not young women. The increase in an age group 45-51 years was four years. In addition it has long been recognised that smokers look older, 4-9 although the relative contribution of say, wrinkles and less subcutaneous fat has to be determined.Intuitively looking older should also be associated with markers of ageing such as having more grey hair or becoming bald. Moreover other variables should be associated with higher estimated ages when they are either causally related to loss of skin elasticity or simply associated with greying of hair, baldness, exposure to sun, etc. This article reports the association of many of these variables and biochemical measures to looking older in subjects in the Department of Environment study. 10This study of London civil servants was directed at determining diVerences in social class (employment grade) and included measures of ageing. MethodsThe selection of subjects has been described. The subjects were a sample, stratified by age, gender, and employment grade and randomly selected using diVerent sampling fractions to provide equal numbers in each age and grade group.11 Of the 397 men in the study 318 had an estimated (perceived) age recorded when first seen by the research staV and of the 130 women, 129 had this investigation. Chronolog...

Gender-linked differences in human skin

“…With age, muscular atrophy or modifications of subcutaneous adipose tissue play an important role in the facial characteristics of men and women, as in the specific distribution of peri-oral wrinkles and sagging chin in elderly women, versus deep expression wrinkles which are more common in aging men. This contributes to the perceived age of men and women, albeit in a non-dramatic fashion, as shown in studies where men have been found to appear 0.37 years older than their age and women 0.54 years younger [71].…”

Perceived age as a biomarker of ageing: a clinical methodology

“…The number of assessors used in perceived age studies has been diverse and two contrasting instances of this are Bulpitt et al (2001) who used three assessors for age judgments and Fink et al (2006) who used 430 assessors. Furthermore, the age, gender and ageing expertise of assessors has been varied; for example, Yamaguchi and Oda (1999) used 'naïve' undergraduate students, Christensen et al (2004) used older female geriatric nurses, Rikkert (1999) used four experienced geriatricians, and Burt and Perrett (1995) used a combination of old, young, male and female naïve assessors.…”

Visible Age-Related Signs and Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease in the General Population

“…1,2 This practice assumes that the perceived age of a patient correlates with age-related disease and mortality, and thus that patients appearing older than their chronological age are more likely to be in poor health, compared with patients appearing their actual age. Previous studies have found that male pattern baldness, 3 grey hair, 3,4 and facial wrinkles 4,5 as well as presence of arcus corneae 3 are all associated with looking old for one's age.…”