From treating mental health disorders to enhancing creativity and spirituality, the potential benefits of psychedelics have attracted a lot of attention from both the medical community and general public. But can psychedelics positively influence lifespan and longevity?
While we haven’t yet discovered the fountain of youth, the field of longevity science is gathering almost as much interest as psychedelic medicine is. Do these two fields converge? Can psychedelics improve longevity outcomes?
With so many factors coming together to dictate how long — and how well — we live, it seems reasonable that healing something like severe depression or addiction disorders could have positive spillover effects for our long-term health.
We take a look at some of the research and potential synergies between psychedelics and longevity.
Mental health issues lead to shorter lifespans
Mental health issues have been linked to a range of health problems, as they not only cause physiological changes in the body (i.e. depression can damage brain cells) but they also contribute to chronic stress and unhealthy habits like a poor diet, inactivity, smoking, and addiction.
According to a Canadian study, people suffering from depression have a substantially shorter lifespan than those not experiencing mental health disorders.
Data from six decades and over 3,000 patients were examined and depression was associated with shorter lifespans and premature death in almost every time period, even after accounting for other factors like obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption.
The study also showed that the connection between depression and premature death was strongest around depressive episodes, showing that outcomes could be improved by treating the root of mental illness.
In another major study, Oxford University researchers reviewed clinical studies and other research papers, gathering data on mortality risk for mental health problems, substance and alcohol abuse, dementia, autistic spectrum disorders, learning disability and other behavioral disorders. The meta-study covered 1.7 million individuals and over 250,000 deaths.
The review found some staggering numbers. Life expectancy in people with bipolar disorder was reduced between nine and 20 years; 10 to 20 years for schizophrenia; nine to 24 years for drug and alcohol abuse; approx seven to 11 years for depression; and eight to 10 years for smokers.
Hypertension and cardiovascular disease
Published in 2021, a paper entitled Association Between Lifetime Classic Psychedelic Use and Hypertension looked at potential correlations between psychedelic use and hypertension.
It theorizes that many factors contribute to hypertension including cigarette smoking, diet, lack of exercise, and alcohol. Hypertension is also associated with chronic stress, depression, anxiety, and addiction. Behavior changes to include healthy lifestyle choices can reduce cardiovascular risk — but people have a low adherence to them over time.
Enter psychedelics. According to the paper, “evidence suggests that classic psychedelic-mediated experiences can disrupt engrained thinking and behavioral patterns and can be effective in the treatment of internalizing disorders.”
Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2005–2014)… the present study investigated the association between lifetime classic psychedelic use and hypertension in the past year among adults in the United States.
The results showed that respondents who reported having used a classic psychedelic at least once in their lifetime had significantly lower odds of hypertension in the past year after adjusting for several potential confounders
Diabetes and cardiometabolic health
Another related study called Associations between lifetime classic psychedelic use and cardiometabolic diseases looked at similar data in relation to cardiometabolic health, including heart disease and diabetes. While still requiring controlled trials to confirm this preliminary data, the paper does suggest potential associations.
The results of this national survey-based study showed that lifetime classic psychedelic use was associated with both lower odds of heart disease in the past year and lower odds of diabetes in the past year, which indicates that classic psychedelic use might be beneficial for cardiometabolic health.
Alzheimer’s and cognitive degeneration
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most prevalent and devastating forms of cognitive degeneration. This progressive disease causes brain cells to waste away and die, leading to a continuous decline in memory, thinking, and social abilities. Worldwide, around 50 million people have dementia, with nearly 10 million new cases every year.
Psychedelics are now being explored as potential treatments for Alzeimer’s and other degenerative brain issues.
Companies like Eleusis are investigating the anti-inflammatory potential of LSD in stopping Alzheimer’s in its early stages. Eleusis published results of its Phase I trial using LSD microdosing and is moving on to Phase II, where they are examining the therapeutic effects of LSD microdoses on Alzheimer’s patients.
Scientists believe that the anti-inflammatory effects of 5HT-2A agonists like psychedelics can be potential medicines against neurodegeneration — thus adding to lifespan and quality of life.
In conclusion, while it is too early to make any definitive claims, the influence of psychedelics on lifespan and longevity is a fascinating field of research. As we uncover more about the world of psychedelic medicine and how it affects the mind and body — we might eventually find that these substances not only enhance our mental and emotional well-being but also potentially impact longevity.
