Study: Training and education help people live longer

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According to a report published March 1 in JAMA Network Openhigher levels of education are significantly associated with slower rates of aging and lower risk of death.

In fact, every two years of additional education results in a 2% to 3% slower rate of aging, the results show. This corresponds to a reduction in the risk of premature death of approximately 10%. This first study linking educational level to rate of aging and time to death.

“We have known for a long time that people with higher levels of education tend to live longer” said the researcher and assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York. “But there are many challenges in understanding how this happens, and, above all, whether measures aimed at increasing educational levels will contribute to healthy longevity,” the expert added.

For the study, the researchers relied on data from the Framingham Heart Study, a project that began in 1948 and tracks the health of residents of Framingham, Massachusetts. Currently the study spans three generations.

To measure the rate of aging, the researchers analyzed the genetic data of participants in the Framingham study, using a test that acts as a “fix” for the aging process. Essentially, the test measures how quickly or slowly a person’s body will change as they grow older.

The researchers then compared the genetic aging data to how much more or less education each study participant received compared to their parents and siblings. The study may explain differences in educational attainment and financial resources between families, the researchers said.

By comparing data on education and aging with records showing how long participants lived, the researchers were able to link slower rates of aging to longer life expectancies in people with higher levels of education. The fact that the most educated participants grew up healthier explains up to half of the effect of education on death risk, says researcher Gloria Graf, a doctoral student in epidemiology at Columbia University.

“Our results support the hypothesis that measures aimed at increasing the level of education will slow down the rate of biological aging and promote longevity,” the expert said.

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