Study: People with lower education age faster
People who get less education may age faster, at least according to a new study published on Wednesday.
A university degree might keep one younger. Researchers found that people with higher education levels don't age as fast as people who didn't go to school for very long. However, it is difficult for scientists to determine what exactly lies behind this discovery.
British and American scientists worked together on the research. They studied DNA from about 450 people, both men and women, between the ages of 53 and 75.
Each participant was placed in one of four separate groups, based on his or her level of education. The first group included those without any qualifications; the second included those who had left school at the age of 16, while the third was for those who continued until the age of 18. The last group included those who had university degrees or equivalents.
The study, published in the "Brain, Behavior and Immunity" journal, found a link between lower education and ageing faster.
The researchers measured the length of telomeres, which are DNA sections situated at the ends of chromosomes. They found that the telomeres of less educated people were shorter than those of people with higher levels of education.
Telomeres have a protective role, as they prevent chromosomes from getting damaged or deteriorated. Shorter telomeres are considered a sign of faster ageing. In conclusion, people with less years of formal education seemed to be ageing quicker.
The exact causes for these findings weren't clear.
The importance of socio-economic background for a person's health was well established before this study. But the current research seems to show that education, one of the markers of social background, could have something to do with health and ageing.
According to Professor Andrew Steptoe, lead researcher for the study, it is the prolonged exposure to circumstances connected to lower status that makes people age faster.
The study also found that a person's socioeconomic status in later life didn't have an effect on ageing. So, a possible cause for the results could be that education allows a person to make more informed health choices.
Professor Stephen Holgate, from UK' Medical Research Council, says that these results are further evidence to the fact that early experiences can have a significant influence on one's health. He adds that a higher education can have benefits beyond those related to the job market.
