Substance use has been a topic of extensive research, particularly regarding its impact on health and longevity. A recent study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence investigates the associations between various forms of substance use, including alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs, and biological aging. The research highlights the potential implications of substance use on biological markers of aging.
What this study does not show
This study does not establish a causal relationship between substance use and biological aging, nor does it provide insights into the mechanisms underlying these associations.
The study analyzed data from 2,276 adults participating in the Person-to-Person Health Interview Study in Indiana. Participants provided saliva samples for DNA methylation profiling and completed validated assessments of substance use disorder (SUD) severity, clinically significant alcohol use, and nicotine consumption. Two measures of biological aging were employed: AgeAccelGrim2 and DunedinPACE.
Results indicated that illicit opioid use and non-prescription opioid use were positively associated with both AgeAccelGrim2 and DunedinPACE. Specifically, illicit opioid use showed a strong association (β=0.417, p=5.913e-11) with AgeAccelGrim2, while non-prescription opioid use also demonstrated significant links (β=0.264, p=1.744e-09). Furthermore, a continuous measure of SUD severity was positively associated with both biological aging measures.
Interestingly, clinically significant alcohol use was positively associated with AgeAccelGrim2 (β=0.177, p=2.111e-08) but did not show a significant relationship with DunedinPACE. Cigarette smoking was found to be positively associated with both biological aging measures across all levels of smoking. In contrast, hookah use was negatively associated with AgeAccelGrim2 but not with DunedinPACE. Vaping, however, did not show any significant association with accelerated biological aging when analyzed alongside cigarette smoking.
The findings of this study underscore the need for further research to explore the mechanisms linking substance use, particularly opioid use and vaping, to accelerated biological aging. The strong associations observed suggest that substance use may have profound implications for biological health and aging.
Evidence scorecard
- Analytic validity: Established
- Clinical validity: Partial
- Clinical utility: Not established
The evidence is based on primary research involving human participants.