DNA damage response and repair in aging

Researchers examined how aging affects DNA damage, meaning harmful changes to our genetic material, and the repair systems that fix them. They considered evidence from human tissues, laboratory cells, and animals rather than testing a treatment in a large group of people. Overall, older cells often showed more DNA damage and less effective repair. The findings also suggest that inflammation and other age-related changes can further strain these repair systems.

What this means for you: This helps explain why aging raises the risk of cancer and other diseases, but it does not show that a supplement or treatment can reliably improve DNA repair. You can ignore products making strong DNA-repair claims unless they have direct human trial evidence.