A new study from University College London suggests that taking part in artistic activities may help slow biological aging.

Researchers found that people who engage in creative pursuits or attend cultural events had slower epigenetic aging compared with those who do not regularly participate in the arts.

About 3,500 adults from the United Kingdom took part in the long-term study, providing survey responses and blood samples.

The participants represented a wide range of engagement, from avid creators to those with limited involvement in the arts.

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Using data from these samples, scientists examined DNA methylation patterns, a key measure for determining biological age.

They then compared those patterns with participants’ reported levels of arts participation.

“We found in this study that ‘arts engagement’ was related to 4% slower aging rates, meaning people were about a year younger, biologically, if they were regularly engaged in the arts,” said researcher Daisy Fancourt from University College London.

“This is actually the same reduction in biological aging that we saw for physical activity,” she added.

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The research considered more than 40 different arts activities, including painting, dancing, singing, playing music, and attending concerts, theater productions, or museums.

The link to slower aging appeared consistent across both artists and audience members.

The findings, published in the journal Innovation in Aging, caught the attention of experts in the field of biological aging.

Steven Horvath, a geneticist and biostatistician at UCLA who developed the Horvath aging clock, said he was surprised by the results.

“I think this is a very rigorous study, and what is particularly new to me is that arts engagement may have comparable effects to physical activity,” Horvath said.

He explained that while chronological age measures years lived, biological age reflects how the body’s cells change over time.

The study drew on seven different epigenetic clocks, including one developed by Horvath, allowing the researchers to capture multiple dimensions of aging and disease risk.

Previous research has found that unhealthy habits can speed up epigenetic aging, while healthy ones tend to slow it.

According to Horvath, chemical tags called methyl groups attach to DNA as we age, changing how certain genes behave.

By studying these patterns of methylation, scientists can estimate biological age with increasing precision.

Horvath noted that factors like smoking, poor diet, and inactivity are linked to faster biological aging.

In contrast, healthy eating, maintaining a stable weight, and exercising regularly are associated with slower rates of epigenetic change.

Because the data on arts engagement covered only a single year of activities, Horvath said the new results should be considered preliminary.

“It’s an intriguing observation, but it definitely needs to be replicated,” he said, adding that questions remain about duration and frequency needed for similar effects.

Cardiologist Doug Vaughan of Northwestern University agreed that creative outlets may influence how the body copes with stress, which could contribute to the findings.

He said that lowering long-term stress levels might reduce inflammation, a process linked to faster aging.

“The arts, or being creative or enjoying the arts, is a non-pharmacological intervention,” Vaughan said. He is launching a project to test how a stress-reduction program may affect epigenetic age.

“The biology is pretty clear,” he noted, emphasizing the known health consequences of chronic stress.

Vaughan said many patients seek options to support their health that do not involve medication, and artistic activities may offer an enjoyable way to contribute to overall well-being.

“When something can be fun and also good for our health, it's a win-win,” he said.