Negative social ties as emerging risk factors for accelerated aging, inflammation, and multimorbidity.

Nearly 30% of individuals report having at least one hassler in their close social network.

• Data were drawn from a state representative probability sample in Indiana using ego-centric network data.
• Biological aging was measured using DNA methylation from saliva samples.
• The prevalence figure of approximately 30% suggests negative social ties are a common feature of close relationships, not rare exceptions.
• Hasslers tend to occupy peripheral network positions and are connected through weak, uniplex ties.

Each additional hassler corresponds to approximately 1.5% faster pace of aging as measured by DunedinPACE.

• DunedinPACE is a DNA methylation-based biological aging clock measuring rate of aging.
• The association was found using saliva-derived DNA methylation data from a state representative Indiana sample.
• The finding indicates a dose-response relationship between number of hasslers and pace of biological aging.
• Both rate (DunedinPACE) and cumulative burden (age-accelerated GrimAge2) of biological aging were examined.

Each additional hassler corresponds to roughly 9 months older biological age as measured by age-accelerated GrimAge2.

• GrimAge2 is a DNA methylation clock that estimates cumulative biological age burden.
• This represents the cumulative aging burden associated with each additional negative social tie.
• The finding was derived from the same state representative Indiana probability sample.
• Both DunedinPACE and GrimAge2 measures converged in showing detrimental effects of hasslers on biological aging.

Exposure to negative social ties follows patterns of social and health vulnerability.

• Women, daily smokers, people in poorer health, and those with adverse childhood experiences were more likely to report having hasslers in their networks.
• This suggests that hassler exposure is not randomly distributed across the population.
• People already facing social and health disadvantages bear a disproportionate burden of negative social ties.
• Adverse childhood experiences were specifically identified as a vulnerability factor for hassler exposure.

Not all hasslers exert the same influence on biological aging; type of relationship moderates the effect.

• Kin hasslers showed detrimental associations with biological aging.
• Nonkin hasslers also showed detrimental associations with biological aging.
• Spouse hasslers did not show the same detrimental associations as kin or nonkin hasslers.
• This differentiation suggests that relationship type and possibly structural features of the tie influence the biological impact of negative social ties.

A greater number of hasslers is associated with multiple adverse health outcomes beyond epigenetic aging, including inflammation and multimorbidity.

• The study examined a broad range of health outcomes in addition to biological aging clocks.
• Inflammation and multimorbidity were specifically identified as outcomes associated with greater hassler exposure.
• The authors characterize negative social ties as 'chronic stressors' contributing to these health outcomes.
• These findings extend the relevance of negative social ties beyond biological aging to clinical health burden.

Hasslers tend to occupy peripheral network positions and are connected through weak, uniplex ties.

• Ego-centric network data were used to characterize the structural position of hasslers within respondents' social networks.
• Uniplex ties refer to connections that serve only a single role or function, as opposed to multiplex ties that serve multiple functions.
• Despite their peripheral structural position, hasslers still exert measurable biological effects.
• This structural characterization helps distinguish hasslers from central or multiplex ties in the network.