Overview
- The peer‑reviewed findings, published in Innovation in Aging, draw on data from 3,556 UK adults in the UK Household Longitudinal Study.
- Researchers estimated biological age using epigenetic clocks, which read chemical tags on DNA that change with age and can signal how fast the body is ageing.
- People who engaged in arts activities at least weekly showed about a 4% slower pace of ageing and were roughly one year younger on the PhenoAge clock.
- Newer clocks such as DunedinPACE showed a clear dose response, with three times a year, monthly, and weekly engagement linked to roughly 2%, 3%, and 4% slower ageing, while older clocks detected no effect.
- The links were strongest after age 40 and held after accounting for BMI, smoking, education, and income, with sizes comparable to benefits seen from regular exercise and to gaps between smokers and ex-smokers, though the study cannot prove causation.