Biomarkers of ageing in the study of occupational harm impacts (literature review)

Abstract

Aging is an individual, complex biological process, modulated by internal and external factors, characterized by a progressive loss of biological / physiological integrity, which leads to body dysfunction, increases vulnerability and death. Influence of activity type on aging rate has been convincingly shown in many studies, which makes it possible assess differences in aging rate of workers, exposed various occupational factors, conditions, work nature and intensity in certain professional and seniority groups, adequately reflects health state and can predict effectiveness of human labor activity. As integral indicator, it can help identify individuals at risk of age-related disorders, serving as a measure of relative fitness and predicting later life disability and mortality, regardless of chronological age. The article provides an overview of the main measuring ageing rate methods based on biomarkers, such as functional (“Kiev model”, WAI) and molecular genetic biomarkers (determination of telomere length, β-galactosidase enzyme activity) of human ageing, applicable in occupational medicine. The review discusses the main requirements for biomarker sets compilation, methods applicability and reliability, mathematical approaches to biological age calculating, and some workers biological age calculating problems. This allows assuming the great potential for using biological age to assess the impact of working conditions and work nature on workers’ ageing rate to prevent disability and improve quality of life.