A new medical study conducted by researchers at Cornell University in the United States found that maintaining social relationships can slow down the aging process of cells, positively impacting the health of the elderly.

According to Fox News, citing the journal “Behavior and Immunity,” it is known that social bonds have a positive effect on overall health, but the researchers focused on the long-term benefits for biological aging.

The researchers used data from 2,117 adults in the United States to measure the “Cumulative Social Advantage” (CSA) related to family relationships, emotional support, religious participation, and community involvement.

These results were then matched with biological markers including cellular aging, inflammation, and stress hormone function, focusing on “epigenetic clocks” that estimate the rate of aging.

It was found that people with higher CSA levels had slower biological aging and less inflammation, with no effect on stress hormones. The researchers also noted that higher social advantage is associated with lower levels of interleukin-6, a pro-inflammatory molecule responsible for heart disease, diabetes, and neurodegeneration.

The study’s lead author, Anthony Ong, professor of psychology, expressed his “astonishment” at discovering the physical impact of relationships at the molecular level, explaining that the study concluded strong social ties slow biological aging.

He added that strong social ties seem to work in the background over many years, contributing to building a more resilient body by reducing low-grade chronic inflammation, a key factor in accelerating aging. While this does not mean a single friendship or community experience will add years to a person’s life, the “depth and consistency of social connection” over a lifetime “matters deeply.”

This new study explores the same data more deeply to understand the biological mechanisms—essentially, how social bonds seep inside us to affect aging at the molecular level.

The study also shows these benefits are not only emotional but biological as well. People with richer and more sustainable social relationships age more slowly at the cellular level. Aging well means maintaining health and connection, which are inseparable.

Ong pointed out that investing in high-quality relationships is as important as diet and exercise for physical health because relationships can “profoundly affect how your body ages.”