WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, revealed that the impact of losing a loved one could accelerate the aging process at a biological level.
'The connection between losing loved ones and health problems throughout life is well-established,' said lead author Allison Aiello, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University in New York.
'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.'
Biological aging is defined as when gradually damage accumulates to various cells and tissues in the person's body, leading to an early on-set of age-related health problems.
For the study, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the Butler Columbia Aging Center used data of 3,969 participants from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health dating 1994-95.
The study found that around 40 percent of the total participants had experienced a loss of a loved one between the age of 33 to 43.
'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 researchers stated.
The research also found that a large proportion of Black and Hispanic participants experienced the loss of at least one loved one compared to White participants.
'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 noted.
'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.'
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