Teen aggression may be warning sign for faster aging in life

By Stephen Beech

Teenage aggression is a "warning sign" for faster aging later in life, according to a new study.

Teens who frequently lash out at others may face lasting physical health consequences later in life, say scientists.

They found that aggressive behavior in early adolescence is linked to faster biological aging and long-term health risks, including higher body mass index (BMI) by the age of 30.

Study lead author Dr. Joseph Allen said: "This study highlights the potential lasting health consequences stemming from social challenges that emerge in early adolescence.

“Accelerated aging has been linked to an increased risk for future coronary artery disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, inflammation and even early death.”

The study, published in the journal Health Psychology, followed 121 male and female middle school students from suburban and urban communities in the southeastern United States.

Researchers tracked participants from age 13 into adulthood, collecting self-reports of aggression, parent reports of family conflict, and peer reports of relationship behaviour.

When participants reached the age of 30, the research team assessed biological ageing using blood-based biomarkers.

Dr. Allen, of the University of Virginia, said: “There were 12 markers in all, which included C-reactive protein, blood sugar, white blood cell count, et cetera.

"We then used a recently developed algorithm that combines all of these and yields an estimate of a person's biological age, which turns out to be a better predictor of their health and eventual mortality than their actual chronological age."

Biological ageing was measured using two validated methods, both of which combine indicators such as blood pressure, inflammation, glucose, cholesterol and immune function to estimate how old a person’s body appears compared with their actual age.

Dr. Allen said: “Both methods showed that higher levels of aggression in early adolescence predicted more advanced biological age by 30, even after accounting for gender, family income, serious childhood illness and adolescent body shape."

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The research team also found that males and individuals from lower-income families showed signs of faster biological aging.

Further analysis suggested the patterns were tied to relationship difficulties.

Boys experienced more conflict with their fathers, while teenagers from lower-income families were more likely to show punitive behaviour toward their peers.

Dr. Allen noted that early aggression alone did not predict faster ageing unless it led to ongoing relationship problems later in life.

Teenagers who showed higher levels of aggression were more likely to argue with their parents and mistreat friends as they grew older.

Dr. Allen says those continued relationship struggles - not early aggression by itself - were what ultimately predicted accelerated ageing.

He said: “This study does not prove that teenage aggression directly causes faster ageing.

“Other factors we didn’t measure may also be playing a role, and it’s likely that what really matters is how those early behaviours turn into later relationship problems.

"We also can’t yet say whether it’s aggressive actions, hostile attitudes or a mix of both that makes the difference.”

Dr. Allen says the findings suggest that early relationship problems may serve as warning signs for long-term health risks.

He said they also highlight the importance of helping adolescents develop healthier relationships early in life, efforts that could benefit both mental and physical health well into adulthood.

Dr. Allen added: “Adolescents are often mocked for treating their relationships as matters of life and death.

“These findings suggest that, in some ways, they are really on to something, which is that relationships beginning in adolescence, and especially patterns of conflict and aggression that begin in adolescence, do seem to have long-term fundamental physical health implications.”