New research from University College London suggests that regularly engaging with the arts may slow the ageing process at a biological level. The study, which analysed blood samples and survey data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, found that people who participated in arts activities at least weekly were, on average, a year biologically younger than those who rarely did so.
The benefits were observed both among those who attended concerts or exhibitions and those who sang in choirs or painted. The effects were more pronounced in middle-aged and older adults, and in those involved in more than one type of activity. The researchers used tools known as “epigenetic clocks” to measure age-related changes to DNA, though these methods are relatively new and not without controversy.
Questions remain about whether the arts directly cause slower ageing or if other factors are at play. For instance, people who are already ageing more slowly for other reasons might be more inclined to visit galleries. Nevertheless, the study’s authors have called for the arts to be included in public health strategies, arguing that leisure facilities like libraries and museums contribute to collective wellbeing.
This research comes amid the rise of social prescribing, which officially recognises a wider range of activities as conferring therapeutic benefits. Loneliness, in particular, has become a focus for policymakers. The study suggests that social interaction, cognitive and sensory stimulation, and stress reduction—all common in a rich cultural life—could slow ageing at a molecular level, offering benefits comparable to exercise.
