Traumatic loss speeds biological aging, study finds

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Grief after losing a loved one may have a significant impact on your body, not just your brain. Or your aching heart.

A new study from Columbia University suggests that loss accelerates biological aging, even starting as early as your 30s.

Put simply, biological age refers to the age of your cells and functionality of your organs. It can be used to estimate how many chronological years you have left to live and how likely you are to develop a terminal illness.

In their study, researchers analyzed data from the U.S. National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health to see what impact loss has on biological age. Nearly 4,000 participants were followed for 24 years from the time they were enrolled in 1994. Researchers studied reports of loss collected periodically from participant cohorts.

In the last phase of the study, participants’ blood samples were collected. Researchers assessed their biological age from blood DNA methylation levels using a variety of epigenetic clocks.

DNA methylation is a test used to detect chemical tags called methyl groups that attach to your DNA as you get older. Epigenetic clocks are tests that use methylation levels to measure biological age.

Results showed that 40% of the participants had experienced at least one loss of a close relative in adulthood. And those who experienced more losses consistently had a significantly higher biological age than those who did not.

Researchers said their findings highlight the need to ensure that vulnerable young people who experience great loss don’t suffer disproportionately.

In a nutshell: They want to separate a broken heart from a prematurely aging one.