Stress May Promote Aging of Cells
As per new finding stress could lead to premature aging.
Chronic psychological stress is associated with accelerated shortening of the caps, called telomeres, -- according to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study included 39 healthy, premenopausal women who were primary caregivers for a child with a chronic illness, and 19 age-matched mothers of healthy children who served as a comparison "control" group.
Stress was measured with a standardized questionnaire, and telomere length was measured in participants' blood samples.
In the 14 women with the highest stress scores, telomeres averaged 3,110 units in length; the 14 with the lowest stress had telomeres that averaged 3,660 units.
These findings may have implications for human health, co-author Dr. Elizabeth H. Blackburn, also at UCSF, told Reuters Health, since telomere shortening is associated with premature death from cardiovascular disease and infections.
Chronic psychological stress is associated with accelerated shortening of the caps, called telomeres, -- according to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study included 39 healthy, premenopausal women who were primary caregivers for a child with a chronic illness, and 19 age-matched mothers of healthy children who served as a comparison "control" group.
Stress was measured with a standardized questionnaire, and telomere length was measured in participants' blood samples.
In the 14 women with the highest stress scores, telomeres averaged 3,110 units in length; the 14 with the lowest stress had telomeres that averaged 3,660 units.
These findings may have implications for human health, co-author Dr. Elizabeth H. Blackburn, also at UCSF, told Reuters Health, since telomere shortening is associated with premature death from cardiovascular disease and infections.
posted by Subodh Gupta Yoga at 1:09 AM
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