Aging Rates Vary by Country. Politics Might Be Why

image via New Scientist

July 15, 2025, 8:30 PM

• •Social inequality and weak democratic institutions are linked to faster ageing.
• •Education and cognitive abilities can protect against faster ageing.
• •Accelerated ageing was linked to markers of eroding democracy.

A study spanning four continents found that social inequality and weak democratic institutions are linked to accelerated aging, while education seems to slow the process. The research, published in Nature Medicine, included data from 161,981 participants across 40 countries and showed that high blood pressure and heart disease were top medical risk factors for faster aging. Factors protecting against speedy aging were education and cognitive abilities. Researchers believe that the connection between physical aging and the socio-economic and political environment might be stress's physical effects on the body and brain.

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