A new study, which was conducted by the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge and published in Scientific Reports, has found that the age by which boys and girls begin puberty may be linked to the development of 48 different health problems later in life.
The researchers discovered that at least 50 percent of men and women, who begin puberty earlier or later than normal, are likely to develop heart diseases or diabetes, and may even have bad health. The study involved at least half a million respondents using the data from the UK Biobank, according to the Telegraph.
For girls, early puberty was pegged between the ages of eight and 11, while late puberty was around the ages of 15 to 19. This was easily determined through the date of their first menstruation, which was asked from the respondents. For boys, however, determining puberty was harder, but the experts asked the respondents if they recalled the age when their voices first changed. The researchers put the normal age of puberty for boys between nine to 14-years-old.
On top of the risks for heart disease or diabetes, 20 percent of those who had early or late puberty developed higher risks of incurring serious diseases later in life. These include cancer, particularly breast and cervical cancer, hypertension, angina, heart attack, asthma, depression, obesity, early menopause, stillbirth and pre-eclampsia.
The experts said that these health problems were not just due to poor nutrition or lack of exercise.
"From a biological point of view, it's actually quite fascinating that something that happens when you're a teenager can have an effect on diseases that you wouldn't encounter until middle age. I find that quite astonishing," said Dr. Felix Day via BBC.
"We are continuing to work to understand how puberty timing impacts later health and how this information may be used alongside efforts to support healthy lifestyle changes and prevent disease," said Dr. John Perry of MRC Epidemiology Unit in the study, according to News Everyday. "It is important to note that the increase in disease risk attributable to puberty timing is still relatively modest and represents one of many factors that contribute to the overall risk of developing disease."
