The number of birthmarks on the human body can be a good indicator of the speed of aging processes, believe the British scientists. According to their data, the number of birthmarks is proportional to the length of telomeres - terminal fragments of chromosomes, which contract with each cell division.

A study conducted by specialists from the Royal College of London, involved 900 pairs of twins. Scientists have read off moles on the body of participants, and, in addition, measured the length of telomeres of chromosomes in their cells.

Telomeres are terminal fragments of chromosomes that do not carry hereditary information. Their main function is to protect cellular DNA from deformations and damages. The length of telomeres was recognized as the main indicator of aging of the body after it was proved that these areas of chromosomes contract with each cell division.

On average, the body of an adult can be found from 30 to 100 moles, but in some cases, there may be more than 400. Researchers managed to find a statistically significant correlation over the length of telomeres between participants with less than 25 moles and those with more than 100 moles. In the latter group, telomeres were significantly longer, and this meant that the cells of these people were "younger" by about 6-7 years.

The conclusions of the scientists are very unexpected, since until recently the main feature of people with an excess of moles on the body was considered to be an increased tendency to skin cancer - melanoma. According to the lead author of the study, Dr. Veronique Bataille, an insignificant risk of malignant tumors associated with a large number of moles is more than compensated by a lower propensity to age-related diseases - heart disease, osteoporosis and t. The report on the study is published in a recent issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkersand Prevention.

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