The study titled ‘Substance use and epigenetic age acceleration: Associations with alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and SUD severity’ explores the relationship between various forms of substance use and biological aging. Conducted by researchers from Indiana University, this primary research involved 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 related to substance use disorder (SUD) severity, clinically significant alcohol use, and nicotine consumption. The researchers measured biological aging using two specific metrics: AgeAccelGrim2 and DunedinPACE.
Key Findings
- Binary measures of illicit opioid use and non-prescription opioid use were positively associated with both AgeAccelGrim2 and DunedinPACE, indicating a link between opioid use and accelerated biological aging.
- Clinically significant alcohol use showed a positive association with AgeAccelGrim2, but not with DunedinPACE, suggesting that different substances may affect biological aging differently.
- Cigarette smoking was positively associated with both aging metrics at all levels of consumption, while hookah use showed a negative association with AgeAccelGrim2.
- Interestingly, vaping did not show a significant association with accelerated biological aging when analyzed alongside cigarette smoking.
These findings highlight the strong connection between substance use, particularly cigarette smoking and opioid use, and accelerated biological aging. The authors emphasize the need for further research to understand the mechanisms linking these substances to biological aging.
What this study does not show
This study does not establish causation between substance use and biological aging, nor does it explore the underlying mechanisms that may contribute to these associations.
Evidence scorecard
- Analytic validity: Established
- Clinical validity: Partial
- Clinical utility: Not established
The evidence is based on primary research involving human participants.