A Toxic Social Connection May Be Accelerating Your Aging

Many people in our lives may evoke anxiety instead of happiness. Interestingly, these individuals can actually accelerate the aging process.

Psychologists have long understood that robust social connections can enhance our longevity. A study indicates that social isolation may impact mortality rates as much as obesity and inactivity.

Moreover, the quality of our relationships holds equal significance to their quantity. Research from the University of Utah in 2012 revealed that tumultuous relationships—those marked by intense highs and lows—can accelerate telomere shortening, a protective cap on chromosomes. This shortening is a natural part of aging and is linked to health issues like heart disease.

Recently, Byungkyu Lee from New York University and his team explored a more precise measure of aging, investigating how negative social connections influence small chemical changes in DNA known as methylation marks. These changes illustrate how behavior and environment can alter gene function through epigenetics. “As we age, the patterns of these marks change in predictable ways,” states Lee.

The researchers collected saliva samples for epigenetic analysis from 2,232 individuals, who described their relationships with significant members of their social circles and indicated their experiences on a scale of “Never,” “Rarely,” “Sometimes,” or “Frequently.”

Interestingly, many participants labeled these negative influences as “hustlers.” “Over half of adults report having at least one hustler among their close contacts,” notes Lee.

These people seem to have a considerable effect on an individual’s epigenetic markers, with each hustler linked to approximately a 0.5% increase in biological aging, suggesting that individuals with hustlers in their lives tend to have a biological age that is older than their chronological age.

Negative social ties can induce chronic stress responses, and Lee’s team observed elevated markers in those relationships, leading to immune system damage.

“The biological ramifications of a significant number of hustlers in one’s social network are certainly comparable to the differences seen between smokers and non-smokers,” Lee asserts.

This effect was notably pronounced among hustlers who, paradoxically, provided some form of social support. “The same person who comforts you today may criticize you tomorrow, effectively branding you as bad and causing more physiological harm than a relationship that could potentially offer more stability,” explains Lee.

Alex Haslam from the University of Queensland remarked that the findings “align with other studies exploring these dynamics and underscore the importance of social relationships in relation to health.”

He further suggested that the overall sentiment within a group may influence aging even more than specific individual relationships. “For instance, being part of a book club or a choir may mean that it’s my connection to the entire group that plays a role in my health.”