Regularly taking part in arts activities such as reading, listening to music or visiting a gallery or museum may slow the pace of biological ageing, suggests a new study by University College London..
Led by Professor Daisy Fancourt from Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, the study used data from 3,556 adults in the UK and examined the biological markers of ageing in their DNA.
The study, published in the journal Innovation in Aging, compared people’s engagements with arts and culture to chemical changes in the DNA.
The academics found that those who engaged with cultural activities more often, and had a range of cultural activities, appeared to have a slower pace of aging and a younger biological age.
The changes were comparable with those linked to exercise – those who took part in an arts activity at least once a week appeared to age up to four per centre more slowly than those who rarely engaged with the arts.
This was equivalent to those who exercise at least once a week compared to those who did no physical activity.
Researchers said that doing an arts activity at least three times a year was linked to aging two per cent more slowly while weekly activity resulted in a four per centre slower ageing rate compared with those who engaged with the arts fewer than three times a year.
Professor Fancourt was quoted as saying: “These results… provide evidence for arts engagement to be recognised as a health-promoting behaviour in a similar way to exercise.”
Read more about the study on the Innovation in Aging website.
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