Stress and Longevity
It has been long suspected that stress can accelerate aging. We certainly know it can make one look haggard. This observation is now supported by scientific research. A study of women with high levels of stress from caring for a chronically ill child showed that psychological stress (both perceived and actual) was associated with genetic aging, equivalent to at least an extra ten years. Another recent study published in the Journal of Immunology reported that the chronic stress experienced by children and spouses who care for Alzheimer's disease patients might cause an earlier death. The caregivers, studied over a period of 30 years, had their lifespan shortened on average by 4 to 8 years.
Both studies looked at genetic changes in the DNA of the caregivers, particularly chromosome telomeres. Telomeres are caps at the end of chromosomes that diminish in length with age. They limit the number of divisions by a cell and are, therefore, responsible for cellular aging. What the researchers found was that caregivers under chronic stress had shorter telomeres, or the equivalent of accelerated aging. In addition, the caregivers had fewer white blood cells and a higher incidence of depression. These studies show biological reasons for a shorter lifespan as a result of chronic stress. Psychological stress not only interferes with the body's immune system but also affects cells at a genetic level. Quite simply, stress may accelerate the aging process, in addition to putting us at risk for a wide range of diseases.
