Scientists at Columbia University investigated how something most of us have to face might impact your own biological age – the results may surprise you
Losing a loved one is undoubtedly a heart-wrenching part of life. But its impact on your body may be more significant than you realise.
Columbia University delved into this phenomenon last year, analysing the data of 3,963 individuals from childhood to adulthood. Participants were enrolled as far back as 1994 for the first data collection set and followed up through to ‘wave five’ in 2018.
Scientists especially wanted to see how reports of loss affected each person’s biology. Nearly 40% of participants experienced at least one loss in adulthood between the ages of 33 and 43.
Findings showed that individuals who experienced over two losses had ‘older biological ages’ than others who didn’t, according to several ‘epigenetic clocks’ measures. This is especially true for those in adulthood, with a significant relationship noted between two or more losses and an older biological age.
“Few studies have looked at how losing a loved one at different stages of life affects these DNA markers, especially in study samples that represent the US population,” Dr Allison Aiello, the study’s lead author, said last year.
“Our study shows strong links between losing loved ones across the life course from childhood to adulthood and faster biological ageing in the US.” It’s crucial to note that your biological and chronological age are two separate measures.
While the latter refers to the number of birthdays you’ve had, ‘biological age’ specifically describes the age of your cells and tissues. So, if your biological age is higher than your chronological age, you are essentially older than your years.
Several signs of this, including wrinkles, grey hair or reduced mobility, are visible to the naked eye, but other symptoms, such as cellular deterioration, are more evident from further testing.
Although scientists don’t completely understand the relationship between losing a loved one and biological ageing, they noted that trauma might be a contributing factor.
This emotional response, triggered by a deeply distressing event, can give rise to cognitive issues, mental health conditions and even a higher risk of heart disease.
Right now, heart and circulatory diseases account for a quarter of all deaths in the UK – equivalent to over 170,000 deaths per year, statistics from the British Heart Foundation show. That’s the same as one death every three minutes.
“We still don’t fully understand how loss leads to poor health and higher mortality, but biological ageing may be one mechanism as suggested in our study,” Dr Aiello added.
“Future research should focus on finding ways to reduce disproportionate losses among vulnerable groups. For those who experience loss, providing resources for coping and addressing the trauma is essential.”
For emotional support, call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline at 116 123, email [email protected], visit a Samaritans branch in person, or go to the Samaritans website.
You can also speak with a trained advisor from Mind, the mental health charity, on 0300 123 3393 or by email at [email protected].