Do all systems age together?

Background: Aging changes in different body system are well described, but few studies have considered the relationship between them. Objective: The p urpose of this study was, therefore, to investigate the interrelationships between markers of aging in different parts of the body. Methods: A cross-s ectional study design was used. Structural and functional markers of aging were measured in a number of different body systems. Results: Conditional i ndependence analysis demonstrated that the aging markers selected clustered into two groups, either related to chronological age or adult height. Visu al acuity, lens opacity, hearing threshold, cognitive decline, and the numb er of teeth were associated with age, while systolic blood pressure and ski n thickness were related to height. Grip strength was associated with both. Conclusions: The differential associations of the aging markers with chron ological age and adult height suggest that different systems do not age tog ether. This may have relevance for understanding what underlies aging, and these preliminary findings now require replication in other aging cohorts.