The experience of losing a loved one early in life can make a person age faster, according to for a new study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study, from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the Butler Columbia Aging Center, found that those who had lost a parent, partner, sibling or child showed signs of older biological age when compared to those who had not yet suffered. such losses.
Biological aging refers to the decline in the functioning of cells, tissues and organs, which can lead to chronic diseases or mortality. To determine biological aging, researchers used DNA markers called epigenetic clocks, which show whether a person’s biological age is older or younger than their chronological age.
The researchers used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, which dates back to 1994-95. The researchers used data from 3,969 participants, specifically looking at those who suffered losses before the age of 18 and those between the ages of 19 and 43.
About 40 percent of participants experienced the loss of a loved one between the ages of 33 and 43, the study said. Parental loss was observed more frequently in adulthood compared to childhood — 27 percent to 6 percent, the researchers noted, while a greater share of black (57 percent) and Hispanic (41 percent) individuals experienced at least one less loss compared to white individuals (34 percent). ).
“People who suffered two or more losses were older biological ages, according to several epigenetic clocks. Experiencing two or more losses in adulthood was more strongly linked to biological aging than one loss and significantly more so than no loss.” researchers wrote in a press release Monday.
“The link between the loss of loved ones and lifelong health problems is well established,” said Allison Aiello, professor of epidemiology at Columbia University in New York and lead author of the study, in a statement. “But some stages of life may be more vulnerable to the health risks associated with loss, and the accumulation of losses appears to be a significant factor.”
Losing a parent or sibling early in life can often be traumatic, causing mental health or cognitive problems, increased risks of heart disease and early mortality, the researchers noted, adding that repeated losses can increase the likelihood of heart disease, dementia or mortality.
Aiello noted that few previous studies have looked at the impact of losing a loved one on DNA markers, saying his study shows “strong links” between the loss of loved ones from childhood to adulthood and faster biological aging.
“We still don’t fully understand how loss leads to health problems and increased mortality, but biological aging may be a mechanism suggested in our study,” Aiello said. “Future research should focus on finding ways to reduce disproportionate losses among vulnerable groups. For those experiencing loss, providing resources to cope and cope with trauma is essential.”
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