For the first time, researchers measured how cultural engagement affects biological aging.
 A year younger, no gym required |
A new study brings welcome news to those who enjoy spending time visiting art galleries, the theatre, or the studio.
Researchers drew blood from 3,556 UK adults and ran a battery of tests to measure how quickly each person was aging at the cellular level. People who engaged with arts and culture at least once a week — by visiting museums, singing in groups, or walking through heritage sites — were about a year younger, biologically, than those who rarely made time for such activities. This effect was as strong as that found with weekly exercise.
That association held up even after accounting for smoking, weight, alcohol, income, education, and disability. This excluded the possibility that cultural engagement was a replacement for other healthy habits.
Two findings really stood out. Variety of activity mattered as much as frequency, and the effect was strongest in adults over 40, the decade when biological aging starts to accelerate.
The researchers suggest that stress reduction, lower inflammation, and reduced cardiovascular risk are responsible for the observed benefits. They also raised a question the study can’t yet answer: Can the aging clock be wound back?
For more on why frequent artistic engagement is linked to slower aging, jump to “Artistic pursuits could help slow down aging, and there's science behind it.”
Also making headlines this week:
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Stay informed and stay healthy!
Tim Snaith
Newsletter Editor, Medical News Today
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