Reacción a "Reactions: study links living as a renter to faster biological ageing"

This study adds to existing knowledge about quality of life and how factors related to physical and mental health accelerate or delay biological ageing (or epigenetic clock). The study was carried out in a population of 1,420 people in the UK, who were asked questions about their past and present housing and their feelings about it (whether they would like to move but cannot, etc.) and blood samples were also taken to analyse biological ageing. 

Biological ageing (or epigenetic clock) is something like a clock that indicates what the age of your cells and body would be and is a different concept from chronological ageing (a person's age). That is, a person can be 80 years old but have cells that have traits and behave like those of someone younger. In fact, there are studies that indicate that people who reach very advanced ages have a very slow biological ageing, that is, at a biological level, their cells are like those of younger people (and this is probably why they have reached such advanced ages). 

Moreover, as this study indicates, biological ageing or the epigenetic clock can be reversed, i.e. we can 'rejuvenate' at the biological level, mainly through changes in our lifestyle and quality of life (less psychological stress, good diet and physical exercise, and in general everything that involves physical and mental health). As the authors point out, the possibility of reversing biological ageing provides a scientific basis for investment in policies related to access to quality housing, as improved quality of life delays biological ageing. 

It is important to note that biological ageing (or epigenetic clock) can be measured in different ways, i.e. there are several characteristics of our cells that can be measured. It is worth noting that the measurement used in this study is largely supported by previous studies. 

In fact, the conclusions of this study are unsurprising, in the sense that they are consistent and expected given previous studies. This does not detract from the merit of the study, for while it would be expected that living or having lived in poor housing conditions, independent of other factors, would delay biological ageing (or epigenetic clock), all hypotheses (theories) need to be confirmed by studies. 

Perhaps the most relevant aspect of the study, in my opinion, is that having a mortgage does not affect biological ageing either positively or negatively, which is surprising, as a mortgage is often a source of psychological stress. In fact, the study does not comment much on this fact, but focuses on comparing renting and home ownership, but I would like to ask the following question: is it possible in Spain to have access to (quality) housing without first having a mortgage and without having problems paying it due to job instability? In any case, as I have already indicated, the study does not conclude that a mortgage accelerates biological ageing, although (and this is relevant) having had problems paying it does accelerate it. Hence the study proposes more facilities and aid for accessing quality housing. 

In any case, the study was carried out in the United Kingdom, a European country with a welfare state more or less similar to that of other European states, and seems to be extrapolated to Spain, as the factors considered as accelerators of biological ageing are basic necessities: too many people in a very small house, defective roofs (this may be especially relevant in the UK because of the rain, but in any case it denotes a low quality of housing), inadequate heating system (this is perhaps not as important a problem in most of Spain as it is in the UK).  

The authors point out that paying rent is a factor that has a much more negative impact than the factors I have just mentioned, and even appears to be more negative than unemployment (when compared to having a job) or having been a smoker (when compared to never having smoked), although these latter conclusions should be taken with caution. 

In any case, it is an interesting study, which, as I have already mentioned, is in line with previous studies, and supports the implementation of social policies not only for ethical reasons (the right to housing), but also because delaying biological ageing and, consequently, the diseases associated with biological ageing, improves people's quality of life and, therefore, represents an investment in preventive medicine.