How Aging Affects Our Daily Rhythms: Insights from the SOMMA Study
As we age, our daily patterns of rest and activity, known as circadian rhythms, undergo significant changes. The Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging (SOMMA) has delved into these alterations, tracking the movements of over 800 older adults. By employing wrist-worn devices that monitor activity round-the-clock, researchers have unveiled how our biological clocks adjust with age. Interestingly, these patterns are not uniform; women, for instance, maintain stronger and more consistent daily rhythms compared to men.
The research brings to light that as we grow older, our circadian rhythms—essentially our body's internal clock that dictates when we feel alert or sleepy—tend to become less pronounced. This "dampening" means that the differences between our most and least active times of the day shrink. Certain lifestyle and sociodemographic factors, like being in a committed relationship or having a stable financial situation, correlate with more robust rhythms. Surprisingly, higher education levels were linked with weaker rhythms, suggesting a complex interplay between lifestyle, social factors, and our internal clocks.
This exploration into how our daily patterns evolve with age not only broadens our understanding of aging but also underscores the importance of tailoring our lifestyles to support our circadian health. Keeping active and fostering social and financial stability might help strengthen our daily rhythms, potentially improving our overall health and quality of life as we age. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the intersection of behavior, sociology, and biology, offering actionable insights for a healthier aging process.
Article Information
Age is Associated with Dampened Circadian Patterns of Rest and Activity: The Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging (SOMMA)
Published in J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. Melissa L Erickson et al.
Abstract
Background: The effects of aging on circadian patterns of behavior are insufficiently described. To address this, we characterized age-specific features of rest-activity rhythms (RAR) in community dwelling older adults both overall, and in relation, to sociodemographic characteristics.
Methods: We examined cross-sectional associations between RAR and age, sex, race, education, multimorbidity burden, financial, work, martial, health, and smoking status using assessments of older adults with wrist-worn free-living actigraphy data (N=820, Age=76.4 yrs, 58.2% women) participating in the Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging (SOMMA). RAR parameters were determined by mapping an extension to the traditional cosine curve to activity data. Functional principal component analysis determined variables accounting for variance.
Results: Age was associated with several metrics of dampened RAR; women had stronger and more robust RAR vs. men (all P < 0.05). Total activity (56%) and time of activity (20%) accounted for most the RAR variance. Compared to the latest decile of acrophase, those in the earliest decile had higher average amplitude (P <0.001). Compared to the latest decile of acrophase, those in the earliest and midrange categories had more total activity (P=0.02). Being in a married-like relationship and a more stable financial situation were associated with stronger rhythms; higher education was associated with less rhythm strength (all P < 0.05).
Conclusions: Older age was associated with dampened circadian behavior; behaviors were sexually dimorphic. Some sociodemographic characteristics were associated with circadian behavior. We identified a behavioral phenotype characterized by early time-of-day of peak activity, high rhythmic amplitude, and more total activity.
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