Ageing is universal, but scientists are exploring ways to slow it down. Internal and external factors, including damage to our cells, affect how our bodies age.
A recent study by researchers from the University of Adelaide and the University of Essex looked at how housing can impact how quickly you age. If you rent a house instead of owning one, your body may age faster.
As a person ages, methyl tags accumulate on certain genes, which can cause those genes to become less active. This can lead to changes in how our cells function and contribute to the ageing process. As part of the study, the researchers studied this DNA methylation process as well as the epigenetic information and social survey data of 1,420 adults in Britain. The study considered various aspects related to housing, including housing tenure (whether individuals rent or own houses), the type of building, government financial assistance provided to renters, the presence of central heating as an indicator of sufficient warmth, and whether the residence was in an urban or rural area.
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The study revealed that living in a privately rented place is associated with a faster ageing process, which has a more significant impact than being unemployed or being a former smoker. When historical housing situations were considered, the analysis also linked repeated housing payment issues and exposure to pollution or environmental problems to accelerated ageing.
The researchers concluded that the insecurity and unaffordability of rented homes likely contribute to the connection between renting and accelerated ageing. Notably, the Knight Frank Affordability Index for India, released in August, showed that Indian households, on average, need to allocate 40 per cent of their income to housing loan EMIs, with variations based on property rates in different cities. Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Pune were identified as more affordable housing markets, whereas Mumbai was the most expensive. In Ahmedabad, families, on average, are spending 23 per cent of their monthly income on EMIs, whereas in Mumbai, the EMI to income rate is 55 per cent. As housing is less affordable, Mumbai is highly likely to have a population with a faster biological ageing rate.
What is intriguing is that the researchers who studied the relationship between housing and ageing suggest that the epigenetic effects of renting could potentially be reversed. Therefore, they propose that when shaping housing policies, governments should take into account the potential health impact of housing choices.