Substance use has long been a topic of concern in public health, particularly regarding its impact on overall health and longevity. A recent study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence explores the associations between various forms of substance use—including alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs—and epigenetic age acceleration.
Background
The research aimed to fill a gap in the existing literature by assessing whether clinically significant measures of substance use disorder (SUD) severity are linked to accelerated biological aging. The study analyzed data from 2,276 adults participating in the Person-to-Person Health Interview Study in Indiana, utilizing validated assessments of SUD severity, alcohol use, opioid use, and nicotine consumption.
Methods
Participants provided saliva samples for DNA methylation profiling, which is a method used to measure biological aging. The study employed two primary measures of biological aging: AgeAccelGrim2 and DunedinPACE. Regression models were utilized to estimate the associations between substance use indicators and biological aging, controlling for various covariates.
Results
The findings revealed significant associations between substance use and biological aging:
- Binary measures of illicit opioid use showed a strong positive association with both AgeAccelGrim2 and DunedinPACE.
- Non-prescription opioid use also demonstrated a positive correlation with biological aging measures.
- Clinically significant alcohol use was positively associated with AgeAccelGrim2 but not with DunedinPACE.
- Cigarette smoking was positively associated with both measures of biological aging at all levels of smoking.
- Interestingly, hookah use was negatively associated with AgeAccelGrim2, while vaping did not show a significant association when analyzed alongside cigarette smoking.
Conclusions
The study concludes that substance use, particularly cigarette smoking and opioid use, is strongly linked to accelerated biological aging. These findings highlight the importance of further research to explore the mechanisms that may connect opioid use and vaping 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 involved.
Evidence scorecard
- Analytic validity: established
- Clinical validity: partial
- Clinical utility: not established
The evidence is derived from primary research involving human participants.