New study finds losing loved ones is linked to biological aging

A recent study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Butler Columbia Aging Center suggests that losing a close family member can accelerate biological aging.

Published in ‘JAMA Network Open’, the research indicates that individuals who lost a parent, partner, sibling, or child exhibit signs of advanced biological age compared to those who haven’t experienced such losses.

The study emphasizes that this type of aging, measured using epigenetic clocks, reflects a decline in cellular and organ function, increasing the risk of chronic diseases.

The study analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, which followed participants from their teenage years into adulthood.

It found that nearly 40% of participants experienced at least one significant loss between ages 33 and 43, with parental loss being more common in adulthood than in childhood.

Researchers discovered that people who experienced two or more losses showed more pronounced biological aging according to several epigenetic clocks, especially when these losses occurred in adulthood.

The findings underscore the connection between experiencing loss and increased health risks, such as mental health issues, heart disease, and early mortality. The cumulative effect of multiple losses was notably linked to greater biological aging.