Could Going To Gigs Slow Aging?

What the headline said: Could going to gigs slow aging? According to a new study published in the journal Innovation in Aging, engaging in “arts activities” has been linked to a possible slowing of the pace of biological ageing.

University College of London researchers examined survey responses and blood test data from 3,556 adults in the UK, comparing participants’ engagement with the arts and culture against chemical changes to DNA that influence biological ageing. The results? Good news for those who engage with art.

UCL’s research team discovered that those who engaged in activities like listening to music, going to gigs, reading, or visiting galleries or museums more frequently – and took part in multiple such cultural experiences – appeared to age more slowly than those who didn’t.

The results showed that people who embraced arts and cultural activities at least once a week seemed to age 4% more slowly than those who rarely went to gigs or picked up a book. Those who took part in arts and cultural activities at least three times a year would age 2% more slowly, and monthly engagement was associated with 3% slower ageing.

Similar results were observed among those who exercised at least once a week compared with those who didn’t.

In a statement, the study’s Lead Author, Professor Daisy Fancourt, of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, said that the results demonstrate the impact of the arts on a “biological level” and that engagement with art should be recognised as a “health-promoting behaviour.”

“These results demonstrate the health impact of the arts at a biological level,” Fancourt said. “They provide evidence for arts and cultural engagement to be recognised as a health-promoting behaviour in a similar way to exercise.”

She continued, “Our study also suggests that engaging in a variety of arts activities may be helpful. This may be because each activity has different ‘ingredients’ that help health, such as physical, cognitive, emotional or social stimulation.”

Senior author Dr Feifei Bu, of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, added that the study is the first evidence that engagement with the arts “is linked to a slower pace of biological ageing,” with its impact similar to that of exercise.

“Our study provides the first evidence that arts and cultural engagement is linked to a slower pace of biological ageing,” Bu explained. “This builds on a growing body of evidence about the health impact of the arts, with arts activities being shown to reduce stress, lower inflammation, and improve cardiovascular disease risk, just as exercise is known to do.”

Middle-aged and older adults showed stronger results, with factors such as BMI, smoking habits, education, and income affecting their ageing.