Higher altitude living in Ethiopia is linked to lower disease burden, reduced DNA damage-related senescence, and longer life expectancy, despite signs of increased facial ageing from UV exposure.
January 2025 – GeroScience
Key Takeaways
- Lower disease burden at higher altitudes: People living at higher elevations in Ethiopia showed significantly lower exposure to behavioural, environmental, and metabolic risk factors. These regions also experienced a reduced burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases, which strongly correlated with improved healthspan and extended life expectancy
- DNA damage-induced senescence declines with altitude: Biological markers in immune cells revealed a notable reduction in senescence caused by DNA damage at higher altitudes. This suggests that despite chronic hypoxia, high-altitude living may protect against certain cellular ageing processes, possibly due to adaptations that reduce oxidative stress
- Faster facial ageing linked to UV exposure: Facial image analysis showed an increased rate of perceived ageing in individuals living at higher altitudes. This acceleration is likely driven by greater ultraviolet radiation exposure, highlighting a trade-off between external ageing appearance and internal biological resilience
- Metabolic rate tied to cellular ageing: Resting metabolic rate was positively associated with both facial ageing and replicative senescence in lymphocytes. While not influenced by altitude, higher metabolic activity may accelerate ageing markers, offering new insight into how energy expenditure influences biological ageing
Read the article at: Teklu, Amanuel Abraha, et al. “Deep Learning Reveals Diverging Effects of Altitude on Aging.” GeroScience, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-024-01502-8.