Scientists claim they’ve found the cause of mystery colon cancers in young people – and the lifestyle factors that are to blame

The number of cases of bowel cancer under the age of 50 could be increasing because some young people’s bodies are aging faster than they should, experts claim.

Researchers at the University of Miami have found that the phenomenon – called accelerated aging – can increase the risk of developing the disease.

Accelerated aging is said to occur when a person’s biological age is greater than their actual (or chronological) age.

While chronological age refers to years lived, biological age is based on physiological markers that reflect the impact of genetics, lifestyle choices and environmental factors on the body.

It can be determined through advanced DNA analysis of saliva or blood tests.

In the latest series of The Kardashians, Kim, mother Kris and sister Khloe all underwent biological aging tests.

They discovered that Khloe’s biological age was 28 – 11 years younger than her actual age, 39.

Kim, 43, meanwhile, was given a biological age of 34, while Kris was six years younger than her actual age.

If a person is 50 but their biological age is 55, their aging has been accelerated by five years, says Dr. Shria Kumar, a colorectal cancer specialist behind the new research.

“That can be reflected in the overall functioning of the body,” she added.

‘It sounds quite theoretical, but accelerated aging has been shown to be predictive of time to death and even several forms of cancer.

The number of colorectal cancers in people under the age of 50, also called early-onset colorectal cancer, is increasing.

The finding comes amid a global explosion of colon cancer in younger patients that has baffled doctors.

Although the disease is most common in people over 50, the disease has increased by 50 percent in younger age groups over the past 30 years, according to recent data.

For this reason, health leaders in the US now recommend that screening for colon cancer – also called bowel cancer screening – begin at age 45.

Some doctors now say this needs to be done even younger, because half of early-stage colorectal cancers occur in people under age 45, according to the latest statistics from the National Cancer Institute.

However, in Britain, NHS screening is only available to people aged between 54 and 74.

The exact reason for the link between accelerated aging and colon cancer is not yet fully clear.

However, some factors that increase a person’s risk for early colorectal cancer also increase biological age.

These include poor diets – including diets high in ultra-processed foods – obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption and other lifestyle habits.

Other key factors in accelerated aging are pollution and stress.

Earlier this year, separate research found that young people diagnosed with certain types of cancer – especially lung, gastrointestinal and uterine cancers – were at greater risk of accelerated aging.

Intriguingly, the US researchers involved in the study said there was ‘strong evidence’ that the risk of accelerated aging, and therefore of developing cancer, increased with each successive generation born after 1965.

And that could mean that Gen Z – those born between 1997 and 2012 and now entering young adults – are at much greater risk of developing potentially fatal diseases like cancer at a much earlier stage than their parents or grandparents.

Professor Ilaria Bellantuono, co-director of the Healthy Lifespan Institute at the University of Sheffield, told MailOnline: ‘We don’t know enough to say with certainty that younger generations are aging faster and why,’ she said.

‘That investigation has not been done. But it’s not impossible. We’re seeing more diseases in younger people, the kinds of diseases we would normally expect to develop in older adults.

‘And biological aging is a risk factor for those diseases. Just as smokers increase their risk of lung cancer, does accelerated aging increase the risk of developing more chronic long-term conditions?”

Dr. Kumar suggested that testing for accelerated aging could help identify younger people who should get regular screenings and colonoscopies.

Screening for colon cancer takes the form of convenient stool tests performed at home.

It is offered because early detection of the disease has been shown to improve both treatment options and outcomes for this disease.

A positive screening test result is usually followed by a colonoscopy, during which any polyps found can be removed.

“It sounds quite theoretical, but accelerated aging has been shown to be predictive of time to death and even multiple cancers,” Dr. Kumar continued.

“What’s really exciting about the opportunities in colorectal cancer is that we have a clear prevention tactic.

‘Colonoscopy is not only early detection, but also cancer prevention.’