Social Isolation Leaves a Mark on Your Biological Age

🔬TODAY’S BREAKTHROUGH

Social relationships may shape more than your emotions, they might influence how fast your body ages at the cellular level.

A new human study from the University of British Columbia found that both positive and negative social interactions significantly influence epigenetic aging, as measured by eight distinct methylation clocks. Individuals with more negative social experiences showed accelerated biological aging, while those with greater social support had slower clock progression, suggesting that social health is a critical factor in physical resilience.

• Researchers used blood DNA samples from 3,647 U.S. adults aged 50–90 to calculate epigenetic age using eight established clocks

• Positive social support (such as emotional understanding and companionship) correlated with slower aging on clocks like GrimAge and DunedinPACE

• Negative experiences (loneliness, rejection, or strain) correlated with faster biological aging, especially on PhenoAge and DNAm-Hannum

• Effects were independent of chronological age, BMI, smoking, depression, and income, highlighting the direct biological role of social experience

Prioritize meaningful social connections, even a short weekly call with someone who uplifts you matters.
Avoid prolonged contact with relationships that consistently cause stress or emotional fatigue.
Support your epigenetic age by investing in social vitality the same way you would in exercise, diet, or sleep.

How you connect with others may be just as important for your biological age as what you eat or how often you work out.

Associations between positive and negative social experiences and epigenetic aging, Scientific Reports, Dr. Lesley Park (UBC), June 2025
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-07222-z

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