Loss of a loved one early in life may accelerate aging: Study

The experience of losing a loved one early in life could make a person age faster, according to a new study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study, from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the Butler Columbia Aging Center, found those who lose a parent, partner, sibling or child showed signs of older biological age when compared to those who had not yet experienced such losses.

Biological aging refers to the decline in the functioning of one’s cells, tissues and organs, which can lead to chronic diseases or mortality. To determine biological aging, researchers used DNA markers called epigenetic clocks, which show whether a person’s biological age is older or younger than their chronological age.

Researchers used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health that dates to 1994-95. Researchers used 3,969 participants’ data, looking specifically at those who experienced losses before the age of 18 and those from 19 to 43 years old.

About 40 percent of participants experienced a loss of a loved one by ages 33 to 43, the study stated. Parental loss was more frequently seen in adulthood when compared to childhood — 27 percent to 6 percent, researchers noted, while a larger portion of Black (57 percent) and Hispanic (41 percent) individuals experienced at least one loss versus white individuals (34 percent).

“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,” researchers wrote in a press release Monday.

“The connection between losing loved ones and health problems throughout life is well-established,” said Allison Aiello, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University in New York and the study’s lead author, in a statement. “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.”

Losing a parent or sibling early in life can often be traumatic, causing mental health or cognitive issues, higher risks of heart disease and earlier mortality, researchers noted, adding repeated losses can increase the likelihood of heart disease, dementia or mortality.

Aiello noted few past studies have looked at the impact of losing a loved one on DNA markers, stating their study shows “strong links” between losing loved ones from childhood to adulthood and faster biological aging.

 “We still don’t fully understand how loss leads to poor health and higher mortality, but biological aging may be one mechanism as suggested in our study,” Aiello said. “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.”