Men in their 50s may be aging faster than women due to toxic ‘forever chemicals’

By Sandee LaMotte | CNN | February 27, 2026

Read the full article by Sandee LaMotte (CNN)

“The ‘forever chemicals’ known as PFAS appear to be aging men faster in their 50s and early 60s, a new study found.

Called forever chemicals due to the years it takes for them to break down, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are present in the blood of an estimated 98% of Americans, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Epigenetic aging — a measurement of one’s biological age instead of chronological age — was most advanced in men, according to the study.

‘The associations between PFAS exposure and accelerated epigenetic aging were strongest in men aged 50 – 65,’ said senior study author Xiangwei Li, a professor of epidemiology at China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, in an email.”…

This content provided by the PFAS Project.