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Updated: Jul 12, 2025

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Accelerated Aging and the Life Course of Individuals Born Preterm

Audrey Bousquet1, Keia Sanderson2, T Michael O'Shea3

  • 1Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.

Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|October 28, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Individuals born preterm face shorter lifespans and higher chronic illness risks, potentially due to accelerated aging. This review explores aging biomarkers and protective factors in preterm individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Medicine
  • Gerontology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Individuals born preterm exhibit reduced lifespan and increased chronic illness rates compared to term-born individuals.
  • Emerging evidence links preterm birth and low birthweight to physiological and cellular markers of accelerated aging.
  • The contribution of accelerated aging to the elevated chronic illness and mortality risk in preterm individuals remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review accelerated aging phenotypes observed in adults born preterm.
  • To examine the biological pathways implicated in accelerated aging.
  • To identify biomarkers and resiliency factors that may mitigate accelerated aging in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on preterm birth, accelerated aging, and associated health outcomes.
  • Analysis of physiological and cellular biomarkers indicative of aging.
  • Exploration of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions.

Main Results:

  • Preterm birth is associated with phenotypes of accelerated aging.
  • Specific biological pathways contribute to accelerated aging in preterm individuals.
  • Biomarkers of accelerated aging and potential buffering factors have been identified.

Conclusions:

  • Accelerated aging is a significant concern for individuals born preterm, potentially explaining their increased risk of chronic illness and mortality.
  • Understanding these aging pathways and protective factors is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms and effective mitigation strategies for accelerated aging in preterm populations.

Keywords:
accelerated agingallostatic loadcardiovascular diseasecognitive declinedementiaimmune senescencekidney diseaselung diseaseprematuritysarcopenia

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