Living environment and lifestyle factors may accelerate biological ageing already in early adulthood

Genetics, lifestyles and environmental factors shape how fast our bodies age. Biological ageing begins already before birth, and it can progress faster or slower than chronological age. Faster biological ageing increases the risk of developing age-related diseases earlier in life. 

In a longitudinal twin study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä, researchers examined the exposome, the totality of lifestyle and environmental exposures, and its effect on biological age in young adulthood using machine learning models. In the study, the exposome was captured based on 186 lifestyle and environmental exposures, including lifestyle factors, surrounding greenness, air pollution, and living area sociodemographic factors. 

The researchers found that the measured childhood and adolescent exposures explained approximately 28% of the variation in epigenetic age at the age of 22. 

Biological age is not determined solely by individual choices 

Smoking, alcohol use, and youth unemployment were associated with accelerated biological ageing. In contrast, higher tree cover, vegetation index, and neighbourhood age structure predicted slower ageing. 

The findings highlight the significant impact that living environments and social circumstances have on biological age already in youth. 

“Our results show that biological age is not determined solely by individual choices,” says doctoral researcher Annika Opperbeck. 

“Many of the environmental exposures we identified are structural and systemic, meaning that individuals cannot change them on their own, but society can.” 

“This gives us the opportunity for early interventions to alter long-term health trajectories and reduce health inequalities before they become established,” Opperbeck continues. 

Unexpectedly, larger green space size was associated with accelerated biological ageing, and aerial black carbon predicted slower ageing. According to the researchers, these unexpected findings are likely indicators of underlying rural–urban differences affecting ageing such as socioeconomical and lifestyle differences. 

Further development of machine learning methods will make it possible to examine the complex interactions between environmental and lifestyle exposures in greater detail in the future. 

About the Study:  

This research utilized data from the FinnTwin12 cohort. By tracking 847 participants at ages 12, 14, 17, and 22, the research team analysed 186 unique exposures, including lifestyle habits, green environments, air pollutants, and sociodemographic factors. 

It is the first publication from Annika Opperbeck's doctoral dissertation, which investigates the interplay between the exposome, genetics, biological ageing, and obesity. The article was recently published in the high-impact journal Environment International. 

The study is a collaborative effort by the University of Jyväskylä’s Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences and Faculty of Information Technology, alongside researchers from the Institute of Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) at the University of Helsinki, University of Oulu, Xinjiang Medical University, and the Wellbeing Services County of Central Finland. 

The research was presented at the Global Exposome Summit 2026 in Barcelona and the Paula Rantakallio Symposium in Oulu (both oral) and at the Global Exposome Symposium for Brain Health 2026 in Bordeaux, where Annika Opperbeck was awarded 3rd prize in the early-career researcher competition.  

The study’s first author, PhD researcher Annika Opperbeck, is a member of the GenActive research group led by Associate Professor of Health Promotion Elina Sillanpää. The group explores the genetic and lifestyle factors that shape biological ageing, health, and functional capacity.  

The research was funded by Emil Aaltonen Foundation, Rehabilitation Foundation Peurunka, Research Council of Finland, Juho Vainio Foundation, Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation, Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, Liv och Hälsa sr., Horizon Europe framework program, EC FP5 GenomEUtwin, EC Horizon 2020 Equal Life, EC MC ITN EPITRAIN, National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and University of Helsinki Research Funds. 

Data collection in the FinnTwin 12 study has been supported by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the exposome data were curated in close collaboration with the Equal Life project.  

Publication details: 

Opperbeck, A., Wang, Z., Rautiainen, I., Heikkinen, A., Ollikainen, M., Sebert, S., & Sillanpää, E. (2026). Exploring the exposome and unexplained variance in epigenetic ageing–Insights from a longitudinal twin study in adolescence and early adulthood. Environment International, 110430. doi 10.1016/j.envint.2026.110430