March 24, 2026, 9:49 am | Read time: 3 minutes
How people perceive their own aging affects not only their well-being but is also linked to physical changes. In addition to classic risk factors, personal fears of aging are increasingly coming into focus as a potential influencing factor in research. A study examines how the fear of aging is related to biological aging processes.
What Did the Study Examine?
For the study published in “Psychoneuroendocrinology,” researchers analyzed data from 726 women.1 They wanted to know if certain worries about aging are related to biological aging. The women reported how much they worried about becoming less attractive, being more frequently ill in old age, or being too old for children. Additionally, an overall score from all three concerns was calculated. From blood samples, scientists determined two established epigenetic markers of biological aging based on small chemical changes in the DNA:
- GrimAge2, which reflects accumulated physical damage
- DunedinPACE, which captures the current pace of aging
The evaluation was based on data from a single point in time.
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The Results
The more pronounced the concern about health decline was, the higher the measured pace of biological aging according to the DunedinPACE method. The effect was small but statistically significant. It persisted after accounting for age, education, income, marital status, ethnicity, menopause status, and existing chronic diseases.
When smoking, alcohol, and weight are included, the correlation is no longer statistically significant. This suggests that lifestyle may play an important role. Whether the concern itself acts directly or rather indirectly through accompanying habits remains unclear.
For concerns about declining attractiveness or fertility, no clear connection with the pace of biological aging was found. Even an aggregated overall score of all aging fears was initially associated with a slightly increased aging pace. However, this finding lost clarity once diseases and lifestyle factors were considered.
With GrimAge2, which reflects accumulated physical damage, no significant correlations were found in any calculation.
What Does the Study Mean?
The results suggest that, particularly, the concern about health decline might be associated with a higher measured pace of biological aging. However, this is a cross-sectional analysis. Whether the concern influences aging or rather a poorer health condition intensifies the fears remains open. Additionally, each concern was captured with only a single question, which can limit measurement accuracy. The study thus provides initial indications that need to be further examined in longitudinal studies with more differentiated questionnaires.
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