Expanded mosaic chromosomal alterations, frailty, and risks of all-cause and cause-specific mortality among Chinese and the UK adults: evidence from two prospective cohorts.

Summary: As we get older, our bodies age in two different ways: how we look and feel on the outside (physical frailty), and what happens deep inside our cells (DNA changes). Scientists recently looked at the DNA of over half a million older adults from the UK and China. They checked for a specific type of DNA damage called "mCAs."

They found that people with this DNA damage had a higher chance of dying, especially from cancer, heart disease, and lung issues. Surprisingly, even if someone looked very healthy and physically strong, having this DNA damage meant they still had a high risk of dying from cancer—sometimes even higher than a frail person who didn't have the DNA damage. This means doctors might need to look at both our physical strength and our DNA to truly understand our health risks as we age.