Study shows 'strong links' between losing loved ones and biological ageing

Sorrow, anguish, heartbreak, agony, heartache: these words are synonymous with bereavement, which means grieving the loss of a loved one. Such a devastating loss is life's most stressful event and can lead to a major emotional crisis. The latest study has attempted to establish a connection between grief and biological ageing.

What is biological ageing?

It refers to how old your cells and tissues are based on physiological evidence. A gradual decline in cells, tissues and organ function leads to a higher risk of chronic diseases. Biological ageing is different from chronological age, which is the number of years a person has been alive.

Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Butler Columbia Aging Center researchers carried out the study and discovered that the ones who lost a parent, partner, sibling, or child showed signs of accelerated biological ageing.

"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 U.S. population," Allison Aiello, PhD, the James S. Jackson professor of health longevity in Epidemiology and the study's lead author said in the press release.

"Our study shows strong links between losing loved ones across the life course from childhood to adulthood and faster biological aging in the US," the author added.

The research, published in JAMA Network Open, suggests that the impact of loss on ageing can be seen long before middle age. The state may also contribute to health differences among racial and ethnic groups.

They followed participants from their teenage years into adulthood. To conduct the study, the researchers used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, which started in 1994-95.

According to Aiello, there still is so much to do when it comes to understanding the possible impact of losing loved ones in different phases of our DNA markers.

The researchers divided the losses into two categories: those that happened in maturity (ages 19 to 43) and those that happened during childhood or adolescence (up to age 18).

"People who experienced two or more losses had older biological ages according to several epigenetic clocks. Experiencing two or more losses in adulthood was more strongly linked to biological aging than one loss and significantly more so than no losses," the press release said,

"The connection between losing loved ones and health problems throughout life is well-established. 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," Aiello noted.

(With inputs from agencies)