A US study published in JAMA Network Open finds that people who lost a parent, partner, sibling or child showed signs of older biological age compared with those who had not experienced such losses.
Biological ageing refers to the gradual decline of how well our cells, tissues and organs function. It is measured using DNA markers known as epigenetic clocks. “Our study shows strong links between losing loved ones across the life course from childhood to adulthood and faster biological ageing,” the study said. Losing a parent or sibling early in life can be very traumatic and often lead to mental and cognitive problems, and increase the risks of heart disease and premature death. Repeated losses can aggravate the risks.
The study included nearly 4,500 people who were followed from their teenage years into adulthood. They provided blood samples for DNA testing. Nearly 40 per cent of the participants experienced at least one loss by adulthood. And those who had experienced more losses showed significantly older biological age compared with those who had not experienced such losses.
“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.”
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