Early life effects on aging.

Abstract

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the early environment both before birth and in infancy has profound effects on aging and long-term health. This is due to environmental programming whereby influences acting at critical periods of growth and development can permanently change structure and function with lifelong consequences. Many biological characteristics of the adult can be affected including the maximum size attained, the structure and function of different systems and the response to stimuli [1]. Nutrition is the most widely researched cause of environmental programming but other agents include physical factors such as temperature, light and noise.