Increasing evidence has shown that stressful situations could take
a toll upon a person's body such as by compromising the immune system
or elevating blood pressure. Scientific data has now revealed that
extended exposure to psychological stress could speed up the aging
process of a person's cells and cause them to die at a faster rate
than normal.
These findings prompted researchers to examine why these effects
were happening from a molecular standpoint.
Researchers discovered that protein-DNA complexes known as telomeres
acted as the timekeeper communicating to the cells how long they
would live. Telemores are the caps at the end of chromosomes that
are responsible for promoting genetic stability. They could be compared
to the plastic tips that protect shoelaces. Each time a cell divides
the telemores becomes shorter. As part of the natural aging process,
the caps begin to dwindle away to tiny nubs causing the cells to
stop dividing and eventually die.
How Stress Impacts Cell Longevity
In the study, 58 healthy women between the ages of 20 and 50 were
given a questionnaire on the amount of day-to-day stress they encountered.
All of the participants were mothers of at least one child and 39
of the participants were the primary caregivers for a chronically
ill child.
It was no surprise that the mothers who were the primary caregivers
of chronically ill children reported higher stress levels than the
mothers in the control group. One of the key findings showed that
the mothers who reported the most stress had significantly shorter
telomeres and less telomerase activity than the control group.
One researcher labeled these findings as "arguably the best
cellular pacemaker of aging out there."
EurekAlert
November 29, 2004
MSNBC
November 29, 2004
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