Substance use has long been a subject of research, particularly concerning its impact on health and longevity. A recent study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence investigates the associations between various forms of substance use—such as alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs—and epigenetic age acceleration. This research is particularly relevant as it sheds light on how these substances may contribute to biological aging.
What this study does not show
While the study identifies associations between substance use and epigenetic age acceleration, it does not establish causation or explore the underlying mechanisms linking these factors.
The study analyzed data from 2,276 adults participating in the Person-to-Person Health Interview Study in Indiana. Participants completed validated assessments of substance use disorder (SUD) severity, clinically significant alcohol use, non-prescription and illicit opioid use, and nicotine use. Additionally, they provided saliva samples for DNA methylation profiling, which is used to measure biological aging through metrics such as AgeAccelGrim2 and DunedinPACE.
Regression models were employed to estimate the associations between substance use indicators and biological aging, adjusting for various covariates. The results indicated that binary measures of 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, 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. Interestingly, the study found that cigarette smoking was positively associated with both AgeAccelGrim2 and DunedinPACE across all levels of smoking. In contrast, hookah use was negatively associated with AgeAccelGrim2 at all levels but did not affect DunedinPACE. Notably, vaping did not show any association with accelerated biological aging when analyzed alongside cigarette smoking.
The findings of this study highlight the significant links between substance use, particularly cigarette smoking and opioid use, and accelerated biological aging. These results underscore the importance of further research to explore the mechanisms that may connect opioid use and vaping to biological aging.
Evidence scorecard
- Analytic validity: established
- Clinical validity: not established
- Clinical utility: not established
The evidence is based on primary research involving human participants.