The key facts

  • The study by the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry was published in the journal PNAS
  • Signs of accelerated aging were found in adolescents by three of the four assessment methods
  • A direct causal link and long-term consequences have not yet been proven

What the researchers found

According to a new study, the COVID-19 pandemic left its mark not only on people's psychological state but also on biological markers of aging. This is reported by Daryo.uz citing a study by German scientists published in the journal PNAS. The research was conducted under the leadership of specialists from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich.

How the study was conducted

The scientists analyzed data from 1,028 people: 359 children, 385 adolescents, and 284 adults. Saliva samples were collected from participants repeatedly — first before the pandemic began, and then between September 2021 and May 2022. The analysis focused on chemical markers of DNA that make it possible to estimate epigenetic age — an indicator of the body's biological aging, which may differ from chronological age.

Adolescents turned out to be the most vulnerable group

Three of the four assessment methods used showed signs of accelerated aging. The most noticeable changes occurred in adolescents: they appeared in three of the four indicators, compared with two in adults and only one in children. A particularly strong association was observed between subjective stress levels and the rate of aging: the harder adolescents experienced the pandemic, separation from loved ones during lockdown, and restrictions on personal freedom, the more noticeable the changes in biological markers were. More pronounced changes were also noted in adolescents from families with lower social status; other factors may have influenced the results as well.

The authors' caveats

The researchers emphasize that a direct causal link between the pandemic and all the identified changes has not yet been proven. It is also unknown whether these changes will persist in the long term and whether they may lead to health problems — additional research and observation are needed to answer these questions.