Growing old: Do women and men age differently?

Area of Science:

• Anthropology
• Gerontology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Craniofacial aging processes and sex-based differences remain incompletely understood.
• Existing research often lacks detailed analysis of aging trajectories across the adult lifespan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop statistical models for describing and comparing craniofacial aging in males and females throughout adulthood.
• To investigate the timing, rates, and character of age-related changes in craniofacial form.
• To identify sexual dimorphism in craniofacial aging patterns.

Main Methods:

• Utilized cranial surface meshes from 254 females and 252 males (aged 20-90 years).
• Employed geometric morphometrics with 16 anatomical landmarks and 59 semilandmarks.
• Applied regression analyses to assess age-related variance and sexual differences.

Main Results:

• Age accounts for a small proportion of craniofacial variance, but is significantly related to form.
• Males and females exhibit significantly different craniofacial aging patterns.
• Aging characteristics, timing, and rates differ between early and later adulthood phases and between sexes.

Conclusions:

• Craniofacial aging exhibits significant sexual dimorphism, with distinct patterns in early and later adulthood.
• Findings are directly applicable to the studied local population.
• Further research is needed to assess generalizability and population-specific differences for clinical applications.