As the global trend of aging continues to intensify rapidly, age-related diseases are becoming an increasingly serious public health concern. A recent United Nations report warns that the population aged 65 years and older will reach 1.6 billion, implying that one out of every six people will be elderly. It is both imperative and urgent to address these challenges through public health strategies to minimize or alleviate this rapid aging trend.
It is reported that only 20% of human aging is attributable to genetic factors, while environmental factors contribute to the remaining 80%, including variables such as sex, lifestyles, air quality, and new environmental pollutants. For instance, numerous studies have demonstrated that air pollution, particularly exposure to fine particulate matter, is associated with telomere shortening, skin aging, cardiovascular decline, and cognitive impairments. However, the public health implications of new environmental pollutants on specific aging biomarkers, as well as their impact on age-related diseases, are relatively unexplored, and their potential mechanisms remain unclear.
New environmental pollutants, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs), endocrine disruptors (EDCs), antibiotics, microplastics, industrial additives, personal care products, and nanomaterials, now pose new public health threats to both the environment and human health.
Recent research has proposed twelve hallmarks of aging, such as genomic instability, telomere attrition, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, and chronic inflammation, which all contribute to understanding the progression of aging. Identifying the major components of new pollutants that are associated with aging biomarkers and related diseases is crucial for supporting public health initiatives for healthy aging, developing a priority control list, and enhancing regulation.
This Research Topic seeks significant research focused on the impact of new environmental pollutants on public health, particularly concerning biomarkers of aging and risks associated with age-related diseases. We aim to provide more evidence of causal relationships and explore the underlying mechanisms between new environmental pollutants and aging, as well as age-related diseases.
To gather further insights into the complex interactions between new environmental pollutants and aging, we welcome Original Research studies and Systematic Reviews, which may include, but not limited to, the following subtopics:
? Public health assessments of new environmental pollutants' effects on age-related diseases.
? Investigation of aging biomarkers as mediators in the impact of environmental pollutants on public health.
? Strategies for mitigating the negative public health impacts of environmental pollutants on aging populations.
? Exploration of mechanisms: How do environmental pollutants exacerbate public health issues in aging populations?
This Research Topic invites a broad exploration of how new environmental pollutants contribute to the aging process and the onset and progression of related diseases, aiming to inform future research and public health interventions.
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