Younger facial looks are associate with a lower likelihood of several age-related morbidities in the middle-aged to elderly

In this cross-sectional study in the middle and elderly participants from the Netherlands, looking five years younger than the chronological age was associated with less osteoporosis, less age related hearing loss, less cataracts less chronic lung obstructive disease and higher cognitive function. Background Looking older for one's chronological age is associated with a higher mortality rate. Yet it remains unclear how perceived facial age relates to morbidity and the degree to which facial ageing reflects systemic ageing of the human body. Objectives To investigate the association between Delta PA and age-related morbidities of different organ systems, where Delta PA represents the difference between perceived age (PA) and chronological age. Methods We performed a cross-sectional analysis on data from the Rotterdam Study, a population-based cohort study in the Netherlands. High-resolution facial photographs of 2679 men and women aged 51.5-87.8 years of European descent were used to assess PA. PA was estimated and scored in 5-year categories using these photographs by a panel of men and women who were blinded for chronological age and medical history. A linear mixed model was used to generate the mean PAs. The difference between the mean PA and chronological age was calculated (Delta PA), where a higher (positive) Delta PA means that the person looks younger for their age and a lower (negative) Delta PA that the person looks older. Delta PA was tested as a continuous variable for association with ageing-related morbidities including cardiovascular, pulmonary, ophthalmological, neurocognitive, renal, skeletal and auditory morbidities in separate regression analyses, adjusted for age and sex (model 1) and additionally for body mass index, smoking and sun exposure (model 2). Results We observed 5-year higher Delta PA (i.e. looking younger by 5 years for one's age) to be associated with less osteoporosis [odds ratio (OR) 0.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.62-0.93], less chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77-0.95), less age-related hearing loss (model 2; B = -0.76, 95% CI -1.35 to -0.17) and fewer cataracts (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.73-0.97), but with better global cognitive functioning (g-factor; model 2; B = 0.07, 95% CI 0.04-0.10). Conclusions PA is associated with multiple morbidities and better cognitive function, suggesting that systemic ageing and cognitive ageing are, to an extent, externally visible in the human face.

Automated summary

In this study from the Netherlands, looking younger than one's chronological age was associated with less osteoporosis, age-related hearing loss, cataracts, chronic lung obstructive disease, and higher cognitive function. This suggests that the appearance of a person's face reflects systemic aging and cognitive function.