The more moles, the older

According to a study by British scientists, the number of moles of a person can be a sign that aging will be fast or slow for that person.

Scientists have long warned that people with multiple moles will have a high risk of skin cancer, but now those people have at least one joy: the more moles the process is Aging will slow down, ie will last longer.

In this study - just published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention (USA) - scientists at King's University, London, compared DNA and the number of moles of 900 female twins. between the ages of 18 and 79.

The more moles a person has, the more anti-aging properties their DNA has than those with fewer moles.(Photo: BBC)

The results of the study show that the more moles a person has, the more anti-aging the DNA has than the person with fewer moles. Moles appear in adolescence and disappear from middle age onwards. The number and size of moles vary widely from person to person. In white people, the average number of moles is 30, but can be up to 40 in some people.

When present in large quantities on the body, moles can increase the risk of melanoma, the rarest and most dangerous form of skin cancer.

The reason for mole differences between people is unknown, and the function of moles is also something scientists have not yet identified. The team looked at the relationship between the number of moles and the length of telomeres in the cells.

As strands of DNA strands at the ends of chromosomes, telomeres contribute to protecting, regenerating and stabilizing those ends. The telomeres are compared to the plastic shank of the shoelace because it helps the chromosomal ends not to be frayed and stick together.

Telomeres become shorter when people get older, so it is considered an indicator of biological aging in organs such as the heart, muscles, bones and arteries.

In this study, experts found that telomeres of people with more than 100 moles are longer than telomeres in groups of people with less than 25 moles. This difference between the two groups is equivalent to the aging period of 6 to 7 years.

'If you have many moles or are prone to tanning, it is especially important to keep your skin safe from the effects of the sun.'(Photo: Celoxdesign)

The research leader, Dr. Veronique Bataille, said: 'The results of this study are very exciting because for the first time, people have many moles - ie those at higher risk of skin cancer - There is also a benefit from moles, that the aging process in them will take place more slowly. "

Dr. Bataille said: 'It also means that they are less likely to get older age-related diseases, such as heart disease or osteoporosis. However, larger studies are needed to confirm the findings of this study '.

Professor Tim Spector, co-author of the study, said: 'We will study in more detail the genes that affect the number of moles to know which genes are able to slow down the aging process. or not'.

For this study, Dr. Kat Arney, of the British Cancer Research Institute, said: 'Although this is a very interesting finding and deserves to be studied further, the important thing that people need to remember is: Many moles can increase the risk of skin cancer '.

He reminded: 'If you have a lot of moles or are prone to tanning, it is especially important to keep your skin safe from the effects of the sun'.

Quang Thinh