Substance use has long been a topic of interest in public health, particularly regarding its effects on overall health and longevity. A recent study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence investigates the relationship between various forms of substance use and epigenetic age acceleration, a measure of biological aging.
Background
The study, conducted by Fekete et al., analyzed data from 2,276 adults participating in the Person-to-Person Health Interview Study in Indiana. The researchers aimed to determine whether clinically significant alcohol use, nicotine consumption, opioid use, and overall substance use disorder (SUD) severity were linked to accelerated biological aging.
Methods
Participants completed validated assessments of SUD severity and substance use, including alcohol and opioid use, and provided saliva samples for DNA methylation profiling. Two measures of biological aging were utilized: AgeAccelGrim2 and DunedinPACE. The researchers employed regression models to estimate associations between substance use indicators and biological aging while adjusting for covariates.
Results
The findings revealed several significant associations:
- Binary measures of illicit opioid use showed a strong positive association with both AgeAccelGrim2 and DunedinPACE.
- Non-prescription opioid use also displayed a significant positive correlation with both measures of biological aging.
- Clinically significant alcohol use was positively associated with AgeAccelGrim2 but not with DunedinPACE.
- Cigarette smoking was positively associated with both AgeAccelGrim2 and DunedinPACE across all levels of smoking.
- Interestingly, hookah use was negatively associated with AgeAccelGrim2 but did not show a significant relationship with DunedinPACE.
- Vaping was not associated with accelerated biological aging when analyzed alongside cigarette smoking.
These results suggest that substance use, particularly cigarette smoking and opioid use, is strongly linked to accelerated 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 linking these factors.
Evidence scorecard
- Analytic validity: Established
- Clinical validity: Not established
- Clinical utility: Not established
The evidence is based on primary research involving human participants.