United States: A new study reveals that losing someone dear to you shortens your life span, and you begin to age faster.
Those who experienced the death of a parent, partner, sibling, or child tended to exhibit a higher derived age than those who did not, researchers said on July 29 in JAMA Network Open, as reported by HealthDay.
The Impact of Loss Across Life Stages
“Our study shows strong links between losing loved ones across the life course from childhood to adulthood and faster biological aging in the U.S.,” said the lead researcher, Allison Aiello, a Professor of health longevity at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.
Aging is a slow process through which the efficiency of the cells, tissues, and organs in the body decreases.
Understanding Aging and Epigenetic Clocks
There are DNA markers referred to as epigenetic clocks that scientists use in measuring this type of aging, and they can always tell how much various factors result in aging beyond calendar age.
Study Design and Participant Profile
In this research, the investigators looked at information about 4,500 people who agreed to give blood samples for DNA profiling as a component of a large-scale study of health profiles. Participants in the study were followed from adolescence to young adulthood.
Investigators followed bereavements occurring in the lives of the participants regarding the potential association of these losses with biological aging, as reported by HealthDay.
“The connection between losing loved ones and health problems throughout life is well-established,” Aiello noted in a university news release. “But some stages of life might be more vulnerable to the health risks associated with loss, and the accumulation of loss appears to be a significant factor.”