From Fat To Fate: How Aging Adipose Tissue Drives Systemic Metabolic Aging
Our bodies’ fat tissue, often seen just as an energy store, plays a much more active role in our overall health, especially as we age. As we get older, this tissue undergoes significant changes, becoming less efficient and even harmful. It starts to accumulate “senescent cells,” which are like zombie cells: they stop dividing but don’t die, instead releasing a cocktail of inflammatory and damaging substances. This release is known as the “senescence-associated secretory phenotype” or SASP. These changes transform aging fat tissue into what researchers call an “aging metabolic amplifier.” This means it doesn’t just age in isolation; it actively sends out signals that negatively impact other organs throughout the body. Through its altered secretions, aging fat tissue can contribute to a range of age-related metabolic problems, including the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even cognitive decline. Essentially, the aging fat tissue reshapes the environment of distant organs, promoting inflammation and the unhealthy accumulation of fat in places like the liver and heart, thereby accelerating the body’s overall metabolic aging.
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