Engaging with the arts can slow biological aging, study shows

"Researchers at University College London had a hunch the benefits went beyond this. They analyzed survey data and blood samples from about 3,500 adults who were part of a long-term study in the United Kingdom, including some who were very involved in the arts, as well as others who had very little engagement with the arts. Then, they used epigenetic clocks to assess participants' rate of aging."

""We found in this study that 'arts engagement' was related to 4% slower aging rates, meaning people were about a year younger, biologically, if they were regularly engaged in the arts," researcher Daisy Fancourt explains. "This is actually the same reduction in biological aging that we saw for physical activity," she says."

"The participants had answered a range of questions, on everything from their exercise habits to questions about more than 40 different arts activities. Want the latest stories on the science of healthy living? Subscribe to NPR's Health newsletter. The slower rate of aging held up for both the "doers" of the arts people who dance, sing or make art as well as those who take art in by going to concerts, the theater or museums."

""Honestly, it really surprises me," says Steven Horvath, a geneticist and biostatistician at UCLA. He developed the Horvath aging clock, a tool researchers use to assess a person's biological age based on specific chemical changes to their DNA over t"

Regular engagement with the arts is linked to a slower rate of biological aging. Researchers analyzed survey responses and blood samples from about 3,500 adults in the United Kingdom, comparing people with high arts involvement to those with low involvement. Epigenetic clocks were used to estimate participants’ aging rates. Arts engagement corresponded to about 4% slower aging, which translates to people being roughly a year younger biologically. The association appeared for both active participants who create art and passive participants who attend performances and visit cultural venues. The findings align with the magnitude of biological aging reduction seen with physical activity.

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