Ageing processes: what changes in your body over the years?

Getting older feels gradual, but under the hood a lot is happening. Cells divide less easily, repair slows down and some systems become more sensitive. Researchers have mapped these processes better and better in recent years. And the good news: part of it you can partly track.

This article explains which ageing processes come up often, what changes per system, and whether you can do anything about it.

What are ageing processes?

Ageing processes are the biological changes that pile up over the years, from cell damage to slower repair. They don't run at the same pace in everyone, and even within one body it can differ per tissue.

You usually notice them only late. A lot changes quietly, years before you feel anything.

That's exactly why many people find measurable signals interesting.

The hallmarks of aging, briefly

A widely cited review in Cell sums up ageing in a set of features, the "hallmarks of aging" (López-Otín et al., Cell, 2013). Think DNA damage, telomeres shortening and cells slipping into a standby mode.

Another well-known process is quiet inflammation, "inflammaging", which is associated with ageing (Ferrucci & Fabbri, Nature Reviews Cardiology, 2018).

What changes per system?

Ageing doesn't look the same everywhere. Below are a few systems and what changes on average. It's a rough sketch, not a law.

The RIVM tracks figures on how the health of the Dutch population changes with age. That helps you place your own situation, though an individual result stays something for your GP.

Can you influence ageing processes?

You can't stop ageing, but lifestyle does relate to part of these processes. Movement, sleep and food come up most often.

How to approach that link practically is in lowering your biological age. The wider frame you'll read in the pillar biological age, and the broader health view in what is longevity.

If you want to track some of these systems in your blood, an extended health checkup maps a range of values.

Why does one person age faster than another?

Two people of the same age can be in very different biological shape. That's down to a mix of factors you partly can and partly can't control.

Heredity plays a role, as do lifestyle, sleep, stress and your environment. None of those factors sets the pace on its own.

Researchers stress that ageing is not a single process but a sum of changes. So one person can age faster in one system and slower in another.

What that means in practice: comparing with peers says little. Your own line over time says more than the average of your birth year.

Frequently asked questions

At what age do ageing processes begin? Some start early, but run slowly. The pace differs a lot per person.

Can you measure ageing? Partly. Blood values and other measurements give an impression, not an exact number.

Is ageing the same as disease? No. Ageing is a normal process, though it does relate to a higher risk of some conditions.

Can you stop ageing processes? Stopping no, but lifestyle does relate to the pace of part of them.

Do you notice ageing processes in time? Often not. A lot changes quietly, which makes measuring appealing to some people.

What you can do with this

Ageing processes are part of life, but you're not powerless against them. You can influence the pace of part of them, even if you can't stop them. Start with the basics and track a few values over time. See such a series as a compass, not a final grade. Have complaints or doubt a result? Discuss it with your GP.

Every blood test result at Vitalcheck includes a professional assessment by a BIG-registered doctor. A blood value is not a diagnosis: always discuss symptoms and treatment decisions with your GP.

References

• López-Otín C, Blasco MA, Partridge L, Serrano M, Kroemer G. The hallmarks of aging. Cell. 2013. PMID: 23746838.
• Ferrucci L, Fabbri E. Inflammageing: chronic inflammation in ageing, cardiovascular disease, and frailty. Nature Reviews Cardiology. 2018. PMID: 30065258.
• RIVM. Public health and care: health and age. Accessed 2026.