Social connections help slow down the aging of the body
It turned out that not only medicine and lifestyle are important, but also how connected a person is to other people. The warm attitude of parents in childhood, participation in the life of society, the support of friends and relatives — all this adds up to a kind of health capital. American psychologists have found that accumulated social connections over a lifetime can influence biological age. People who are supported from childhood to adulthood turn out to be younger on a cellular level than their peers.
The study covered more than two thousand adults, whose data was collected in the MIDUS project. In those with extensive social experience, molecular markers indicated slower aging. The level of chronic inflammation was lower, and the epigenetic clock — special biomarkers for DNA analysis — showed a biological age less than the passport age.
Scientists note that social resources work as a cumulative effect. More important is the depth and duration of relationships that have developed over decades. The more stable the support, the more pronounced the effect on health.
The researchers paid special attention to the inflammatory marker interleukin-6. Its level is closely related to the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and brain disorders. For people with high social capital, this indicator was noticeably lower.
At the same time, short-term factors like stress hormones did not play a special role. It turns out that it is long-term relationships and a sense of belonging to a community that form the basis for slow aging.
An important conclusion is that social resources are unevenly distributed. Children from families with low incomes, disabilities, or discrimination receive less support. This affects not only their psychological state, but also their biological aging.
The new work echoes the so-called “wear-out” hypothesis, according to which constant exposure to adverse conditions accelerates the aging of the body. But the flip side is shown here — the accumulation of support and community participation can protect health at the molecular level.
“Social connections can be compared to a retirement account,” explains Professor Anthony On, the head of the study. — The earlier you start and the longer you contribute, the more you get out. And these dividends are expressed not only in a good mood, but also in the fact that cells age more slowly.”
Thus, a person’s relationship history turns out to be no less important than their diet or physical activity. Healthy aging means taking care not only of the body, but also of being around other people.
Published
September, 2025
Category
Interesting facts
Duration of reading
3—4 minutes
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Source
Scientific Journal Brain, Behavior, & Immunity—Health. Article: «Anthony D. Ong et al, Cumulative social advantage is associated with slower epigenetic aging and lower systemic inflammation«
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