Recent research has uncovered alarming evidence that excessive drinking can lead to early aging at a cellular level, both in the brain and the bloodstream.
The study, published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, analyzed DNA from people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and found signs of advanced biological aging.
Scientists took DNA samples from the brains of 144 deceased individuals who had AUD and blood samples from 200 men, some with AUD and some without. They looked for markers that show how old our bodies really are, beyond just our chronological age.
These markers included the length of telomeres (the ends of chromosomes that protect them from damage), the state of epigenetic clocks (which measure biological deterioration), and the number of mitochondria DNA (which provides energy to cells).
One key finding was that in people with AUD, a part of the brain called the BA9 region showed signs of increased biological age.
This region is important for decision-making and memory. The results could mean there’s more inflammation in the brains of those with AUD.
In the blood samples, individuals with AUD also showed signs of increased biological aging according to epigenetic clocks.
Generally, the study noticed a consistent link between the biological age markers and the actual age of individuals, both in blood and brain samples. Specifically, shorter telomeres were associated with older age.
This research is groundbreaking because it’s the first to compare blood and brain samples together using various measures of biological aging in people with AUD.
The focus was on three brain regions related to addiction: the BA9 region for memory and decision-making, the ventral striatum linked to the pleasure of drugs, and the caudate nucleus important in forming habits.
Previously, studies have found signs of advanced biological aging in the blood of people with AUD, but this study takes a deeper dive by including brain samples.
However, to fully understand how alcohol causes our bodies to age faster, more studies are needed.
These should include a larger and more varied group of people, ideally comparing blood and brain samples from the same person, along with detailed information about their drinking habits, symptoms related to AUD, and when they first started drinking.
In summary, this study provides a crucial link between excessive alcohol use and premature aging at a cellular level.
It opens up new avenues for understanding how alcohol affects our bodies and brains and highlights the importance of managing alcohol consumption for maintaining long-term health.
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The research findings can be found in Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research.
