The study titled ‘Substance use and epigenetic age acceleration: Associations with alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and SUD severity’ explores the connections between various forms of substance use and biological aging. Conducted by researchers from Indiana University, this research analyzes data from 2,276 adults who participated in the Person-to-Person Health Interview Study in Indiana.
Participants provided saliva samples for DNA methylation profiling and completed validated assessments regarding their substance use, including clinically significant alcohol use, nicotine consumption, opioid use, and overall substance use disorder (SUD) severity. The researchers utilized two measures of biological aging: AgeAccelGrim2 and DunedinPACE.
Key Findings
- Binary measures of illicit opioid use and non-prescription opioid use were positively associated with both AgeAccelGrim2 and DunedinPACE.
- Clinically significant alcohol use showed a positive association with AgeAccelGrim2 but not with DunedinPACE.
- Cigarette smoking was positively associated with both biological aging measures, while hookah use was negatively associated with AgeAccelGrim2.
- Vaping did not show an association with accelerated biological aging when analyzed alongside cigarette smoking.
These findings suggest that substance use, particularly cigarette smoking and opioid use, is strongly linked to accelerated biological aging. The study highlights the importance of further research to understand the mechanisms that may connect opioid use and vaping with biological aging.
What this study does not show
This study does not establish a causal relationship 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 based on primary research involving human participants.