Children of fathers who started smoking at age 15 or younger may age faster biologically, according to new research presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Amsterdam. Scientists say early smoking damages sperm cells during puberty, with effects that can be passed to the next generation.
Puberty is a crucial time for development, including sperm formation in boys. Researchers believe smoking during this window may alter sperm epigenetics. These changes do not rewrite DNA but instead affect how genes function. As a result, children may carry biological markers of faster aging, putting them at higher risk for age-related diseases.
How Researchers Measured Biological Aging
The research team analyzed blood samples from 892 participants in the RHINESSA study, aged between 7 and 50 years, with an average age of 28. T
hey measured epigenetic changes using established epigenetic clocks, which track molecular markers that accumulate on DNA with age. These markers predict biological age, which can differ from chronological age.
Key Findings From the Study
The study revealed that children whose fathers smoked at or before 15 showed biological ages nine to 12 months older than expected. When adjusting for whether the children themselves had smoked, this gap widened to 14 to 15 months.
Fathers who began smoking later in life showed only minor impacts on children’s biological aging. Interestingly, maternal smoking before pregnancy did not show the same association.
Implications for Health and Disease
Accelerated biological aging is linked to higher risks of cancer, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and dementia.
Dr Juan Pablo López-Cervantes, lead author from the University of Bergen, emphasized that these findings highlight unseen harms of adolescent smoking. He explained that young boys who smoke may unknowingly affect the health and longevity of their future children.
Expert Opinions and Broader Concerns
Dr Stamatoula Tsikrika, Chair of the European Respiratory Society’s expert group on tobacco, smoking control and health education, noted the importance of the findings. She stressed that while youth smoking rates are falling, vaping among teenagers is rising.
Since the long-term impacts of vaping are not yet fully understood, experts warn it may carry similar or unforeseen risks.
Why Preventing Adolescent Smoking Matters
The study highlights an urgent public health need to strengthen prevention of tobacco and nicotine use among teenagers. Protecting adolescent boys from smoking may reduce not only their immediate health risks but also long-term risks for their children.
Stronger policies, health education, and awareness campaigns are needed to address both smoking and the rising trend of vaping.
Conclusion
This research reinforces the message that smoking harms extend beyond the individual and across generations. Fathers who smoke during puberty may pass on biological aging risks to their children through altered sperm epigenetics. Preventing teenage smoking is therefore vital, not just for today’s youth but for healthier future generations.
