Study says: Loneliness and unhappiness may age faster than smoking.
We demonstrate [that] psychological factors, such as feeling unhappy or lonely, add up to one year and eight months to one’s biological age, according to a recent study published in Aging-US by Dr. Fedor Galkin, director of scientific business development at Deep Longevity in Hong Kong. This effect outweighs the effects of smoking, marital status, living situation, and biological sex.
The study found that in addition to everyone’s chronological age, which is defined by their birthdate, there is also a “aging clock” that is controlled by genetics, lifestyle decisions, and environmental factors. As people get older, molecular damage builds up and contributes to the emergence of diseases. Certain people go through a “accelerated aging” process.
However, a global study team used blood panels from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) dataset, which focuses on Chinese adults, to determine biological age.
The goal of the study was to develop a standard for effective aging, which was determined to be 65 and older adults without significant disabilities, with normal cognitive function, and participating in social activities.
China, with its sizable elderly population, offered important insights into aging trends. Using information from 11,914 Chinese adults, the researchers created a novel “aging clock” a first for such a sizable Chinese cohort.
A computational model called the “aging clock” calculates an individual’s age by examining their biomarkers. This concept identifies elderly people as having accelerated molecular aging processes.
A history of stroke, liver and lung illness, smoking, and a precarious mental state defined by feelings of helplessness, dissatisfaction, and loneliness were among the characteristics linked to rapid aging that the study uncovered. Aging more quickly was also associated with living alone and in remote places with little access to healthcare.
