Health
Frequent museum visits tied to reduced cellular aging, research finds
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People who regularly visit museums or participate in creative activities may be aging more slowly on a biological level, according to a new study from the United Kingdom.
Researchers from University College London analyzed data from more than 3,500 adults and found that people who frequently engaged in arts and cultural activities showed signs of slower biological aging in several DNA-based measurements.
The findings were published in the journal Innovation in Aging.
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The study examined activities including painting, photography, dancing, singing, visiting museums and attending cultural events or historic sites.
People who frequently visit museums or engage in artistic activities may experience slower biological aging. (iStock)
Researchers compared participation in those activities with “epigenetic clocks,” scientific tools that examine chemical changes in DNA over time.
Adults who participated more often, and in a wider variety of activities, tended to show slower aging scores compared to people who rarely engaged in arts or cultural experiences.
ANTI-AGING BENEFITS LINKED TO ONE SURPRISING HEALTH HABIT
The association appeared even stronger among adults over age 40.
Researchers also noted that the effect sizes were comparable to those linked to physical activity, one of the most widely studied behaviors associated with healthy aging.
The study found that adults who engaged more often in arts and cultural activities showed slower biological aging. (iStock)
Jessica Mack, a health and wellness expert and founder of The Functional Consulting Group who was not involved in the study, said the findings reflect a growing understanding that health is influenced by more than exercise and nutrition alone.
“Arts and cultural engagement may be associated with slower epigenetic aging, with effects comparable in some measures to physical activity,” Mack told Fox News Digital.
She said activities such as visiting museums and engaging with music or art may help reduce stress, improve emotional regulation and increase social connection.
Experts say these activities may reduce stress, improve emotional regulation, and strengthen social connections. (iStock)
“These are not ‘extra’ lifestyle activities,” Mack said. “They may be deeply connected to how the body manages inflammation, stress hormones, mood and overall resilience.”
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Mack added that people experiencing stress, social isolation, retirement or caregiving responsibilities may especially benefit from meaningful cultural engagement.
Experts cautioned, however, that the study does not prove arts engagement directly slows aging.
“This is an observational study, not an experiment,” Professor Steve Horvath of UCLA, a longevity researcher and pioneer in epigenetic aging research who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
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“So when researchers find that the people who go to museums have younger epigenetic age, we cannot tell whether the museum visits slowed their aging, or whether their slower aging is what allowed them to keep visiting museums,” he said.
While the findings suggest a link, experts caution that the study cannot prove arts and cultural activities directly slow aging. (iStock)
Horvath said both explanations may be true to some degree, though he described the research as “methodologically careful” and worthy of further study.
The findings remained consistent even after accounting for factors such as smoking, income, body weight and other lifestyle habits.
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He added that regardless of whether arts engagement is directly slowing biological aging, staying socially and mentally active is still associated with healthier aging overall.
“The prescription is the same,” he said. “Keep going.”
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A recent study suggests GLP-1-related weight loss may improve some women’s relationships and employment status.
Rebecca Diamond, professor of economics at Harvard University in Boston, independently published research that found an association between weight-loss medications and a change in women’s social and economic outcomes.
Diamond used the Understanding America Study, a panel survey from the University of Southern California, to compare women who started GLP-1s for weight loss to those who wanted to start but had not yet done so.
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The comparison considered body mass, health, income, employment, partnership status and well-being before treatment.
The study focused on women because they are more likely to use GLP-1s than men. It excluded people taking GLP-1 drugs for diabetes, as their use is driven by a medical condition rather than weight-loss demand.
Women who began GLP-1s for weight loss and were successful in losing weight experienced changes in relationship and employment status, according to the findings. (iStock)
Women who successfully lost weight with GLP-1 medications experienced changes across several life outcomes, including employment, marriage and cohabitation, according to the study.
Marriage and cohabitation rose 29% for single women after about 18 months.
DIVORCEES AND WIDOWS SHARE CONCERNING MENTAL HEALTH TRAIT, RESEARCHERS FIND
Among women who were not employed at the start of the study, job prospects increased by 27% after the same amount of time. Those who were already employed did not display any clear upward progress in their careers, however.
Diamond argues that these findings suggest part of the “female obesity penalty” comes from how people are judged when being matched up, either in a new relationship or a new job.
The findings say “more about societal bias than about the medication itself,” a doctor suggested. (iStock)
Dr. Peter Balazs, MD, a hormone and weight-loss specialist from New York and New Jersey, commented on these findings.
“The effects showed up during ‘new match’ situations, such as job interviews or dating, and not within existing jobs or relationships,” Balazs, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “This says more about societal bias than it does about the medication itself.”
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Balazs said his patients often report feeling more confident and “visible” after weight loss, which could translate into better interview performance and networking.
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“Weight loss (commonly) improves confidence, which opens new business and relationship opportunities,” he went on. “Weight loss has hormonal impacts as well, so the normalization of hormones and the profound metabolic and psychological relief that comes with it can be a factor, too.”
“Weight loss (commonly) improves confidence, which opens new business and relationship opportunities,” an expert said. (iStock)
Dr. Krishna Vyas, a plastic surgeon at Blechman Plastic Surgery in New York, told Fox News Digital in a separate interview that many patients seek breast lifts or body contouring after significant GLP-1 weight loss, after which they find themselves “re-engaging with life.”
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“That confidence effect is real in the exam room,” said the surgeon, who also was not involved in the research. “This study, however, showed no clear improvement in depression, loneliness or life satisfaction, even as marriage and employment rates climbed dramatically.”
“The opportunities opened, yet the women didn’t report feeling better, which suggests it was largely the gatekeepers who changed, not the women.”
Potential limitations
Because this was an observational study rather than a randomized clinical trial, it could only show an association — not cause and effect. The findings are also considered preliminary because the paper has not yet been peer-reviewed, the author acknowledged.
“Additionally, since the study only looked at women, that introduces another layer of potential bias,” Balazs noted. “I’d be interested to see whether the findings would be the same if the study included men or compared them directly.”
“Weight loss has hormonal impacts as well, so the normalization of hormones and the profound metabolic and psychological relief that comes with it can be a factor, too,” an expert said. (iStock)
Another limitation is that the information from the individuals studied was self-reported, the expert noted.
The researchers were also unable to determine whether people who found new jobs were earning more money.
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“Additionally, even though GLP-1 users appeared to have better outcomes on paper, they did not report greater overall life satisfaction,” Balazs added. “That raises important questions about whether these external changes translate into meaningful improvements in well-being.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the study researcher and multiple human resources organizations requesting comment.
New York City health officials warn of Legionnaires’ disease outbreak
Health officials in New York City have issued a warning about a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, with 23 confirmed cases and 17 hospitalizations. Dr. Stephanie Widmer, an emergency medicine attending physician, details how the bacterial pneumonia is contracted, emphasizing it’s from warm water in large cooling towers, not drinking water. She also discusses symptoms and curability with antibiotics.
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New York City health officials announced Friday that the first person has died in connection with a growing Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side as the number of confirmed infections continued to rise.
“I am saddened to report that one person has died in connection with the Legionnaires’ disease community cluster on the Upper East Side,” New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin said in a statement.
“My deepest condolences are with their loved ones, and out of respect to their personal privacy, we will not be releasing any additional information on the individual.”
NYC HEALTH OFFICIALS WARN CENTRAL PARK VISITORS AFTER LEGIONNAIRES’ OUTBREAK GROWS ON UPPER EAST SIDE
A 3D illustration of Legionella pneumophila, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia. (iStock)
The death comes as the outbreak has sickened 67 people as of Thursday night, up from 63 cases reported a day earlier. Twelve people remain hospitalized, according to city health officials.
Investigators are tracing the outbreak to Legionella pneumophila bacteria found in 76 cooling towers across the Upper East Side and one on the Upper West Side. Buildings that tested positive, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, have been ordered to clean and disinfect their cooling towers.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which naturally occurs in water but can multiply in building water systems such as cooling towers. The illness can be treated with antibiotics if diagnosed early.
DEADLY LEGIONNAIRES’ DISEASE OUTBREAK SPARKS CONCERN IN MAJOR US CITY: KNOW THE SYMPTOMS
A blood sample tests positive for Legionella bacteria, which causes Legionnaires’ disease. (iStock)
Cooling towers, commonly found on rooftops, help regulate large building cooling systems and can release mist containing the bacteria. Health officials have emphasized that the outbreak is not linked to New York City’s drinking water or indoor air conditioning.
Health officials urged anyone who lives, works or has visited the affected area since late June and develops flu-like symptoms to contact a health care provider immediately.
Symptoms typically appear two to 14 days after exposure and include fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches and headaches. The disease spreads through contaminated water droplets and is not spread from person to person.
New York City health officials are urging anyone who has visited Manhattan’s Upper East Side since late June to watch for symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease. (iStock)
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Older adults, smokers and people with chronic lung disease or weakened immune systems face the highest risk of severe illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 10 people diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease die from complications.
City health officials said early diagnosis and prompt treatment with antibiotics can significantly improve outcomes for patients who become infected.
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