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Losing a loved one can accelerate the aging process
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Losing a loved one, such as a family member, may cause you to age faster, according to a new study from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia's Butler Center on Aging.
The study found that people who lost a parent, partner, sibling, or child showed signs of older biological age compared to those who did not experience such losses. The results were published in JAMA Network Open.
Biological aging is the gradual deterioration of the functioning of cells, tissues, and organs, leading to an increased risk of chronic diseases. Scientists measure this type of aging using DNA markers known as the epigenetic clock.
“Few studies have examined how loss of a loved one at different stages of life affects these DNA markers, especially in samples representative of the U.S. population,” said Allison Aiello, PhD, professor of epidemiology and lead author of the study. “Our study shows strong associations between loss of loved ones across the lifespan — from childhood to adulthood — and accelerated biological aging in the U.S.”
The study, conducted in collaboration with the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, suggests that the effects of loss on aging can be seen well before middle age and may contribute to health disparities among racial and ethnic groups.
The researchers used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), which began in 1994-95 and followed participants from their teens into adulthood.
To measure familial losses during childhood or adolescence, Aiello and colleagues followed participants through different study waves and aging timeframes.
Wave I surveyed 20,745 adolescents in grades 7–12, most of whom were aged 12–19 years. Participants have been followed since then. Wave V occurred from 2016 to 2018 and completed interviews with 12,300 of the original participants. In the final wave, which ran from 2016 to 2018, participants were invited to an additional home survey, where nearly 4,500 participants had a blood sample collected for DNA testing.
The study looked at losses experienced in childhood or adolescence (up to age 18) and in adulthood (ages 19 to 43). They also looked at the number of losses experienced during that period. Biological aging data was assessed based on DNA methylation in the blood using epigenetic clocks, including DunedinPACE, developed by Aiello’s colleague at the Center for Aging and study co-author Dan Belsky and his collaborators at Duke University.
Nearly 40% of participants experienced at least one loss in adulthood between the ages of 33 and 43. Parental loss was more common in adulthood compared to childhood and adolescence (27% vs. 6%). A higher proportion of black (57%) and Hispanic (41%) participants experienced at least one loss compared to white participants (34%).
People who experienced two or more losses had an older biological age, as measured by several epigenetic clocks. Experiencing two or more losses in adulthood was more strongly associated with biological aging than one loss, and significantly more strongly than no loss.
“The link between bereavement and health problems across the lifespan is well established,” Aiello said. “But certain stages of life may be more vulnerable to the health risks associated with loss, and accumulation of losses appears to be a significant factor.”
For example, losing a parent or sibling at an early age can be very traumatic, often resulting in mental health problems, cognitive problems, increased risks of heart disease, and a greater risk of early death. Losing a close family member at any age carries health risks, and repeated losses can increase the risks of heart disease, mortality, and dementia; and their impact can linger or manifest long after the event.
Aiello and her co-authors emphasize that while loss at any age can have long-term health consequences, the effects may be more severe during key developmental periods such as childhood or early adulthood.
“We still do not fully understand how loss leads to poor health and increased mortality, but biological aging may be one mechanism, as shown in our study. Future research should focus on finding ways to reduce disproportionate loss among vulnerable groups. For those experiencing loss, providing resources to cope and address trauma is essential,” Aiello concluded.