Get back in the classroom for your health.
Studies in the past have found the health benefits of getting an education, which include greater longevity for every year of education attained from birth. A new study illuminates just how effective being in the classroom can be in lowering your biological age.
The research published in the JAMA Network Open journal found that on average, an extra two years of education resulted in a two to three percent slower pace of aging, as well as a 10 percent lower risk of death. It's the first study of its kind to look at educational mobility specifically, which deals with increasing levels of education from elementary school through doctoral programs. The team examined biological aging in more than 3,000 people from a long-running heart study and looked at their education levels to reach their conclusions.
"We found that upward educational mobility was associated both with a slower pace of aging and decreased risk of death," study co-author Gloria Graf told Forbes of the report. "Our findings support the hypothesis that interventions to promote educational attainment will slow the pace of biological aging and promote longevity."
Biological aging, sometimes referred to as your biological clock, refers to the molecular changes that happen in our bodies as the years go on. This results in our cells, tissues, and organs being less resilient the older we get. When looking at their research, the scientists found that around half of the difference in mortality as a result of greater education was tied to their slower pace of internal aging.
If you're looking to live longer, maybe consider going back to school.
