The Link Between Depression, Urban Deprivation, and Biological Aging.
Depressive symptoms and living in deprived urban neighborhoods were found to be independently associated with accelerated biological aging, according to a new study. The research utilized DNA methylation-based epigenetic clocks to estimate biological age and found premature aging in individuals facing these circumstances. The study also found a connection between higher neighborhood deprivation and an increased risk of death. The influence of depression on premature aging seemed unrelated to neighborhood deprivation, suggesting different underlying mechanisms.