Stress influences aging factors In study published in the November 30 2004 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (http://www.pnas.org/), scientists from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have found that chronic stress affects three biological factors involved with cellular aging: telomere length, telomere activity and oxidative stress. Researchers have long known that stress was linked with poor health, but its mechanisms had not been elucidated. Telomeres are the caps at the ends of chromosomes that consist of DNA and protein, which shorten as a cell ages. The enzyme telomerase protects and replenishes telomeres, which increases a cell’s lifespan. Oxidative stress, caused by excess free radical activity, damages DNA and speeds up telomere shortening. During the normal aging of an individual, the process of telomere shortening becomes more rapid than that which occurs during youth. The study included 58 healthy women, aged 20 to 50. Thirty-nine of the women were the biological mothers and caregivers of a chronically ill child and 19 women were the mothers of healthy children. The women completed questionnaires that assessed their stress levels. Blood mononucleocytes, a type of immune cell, were analyzed for telomere length and telomerase activity. Oxidative stress was calculated from blood and urinary markers. It was discovered that increased duration of caregiving (controlled for age) was correlated with increased perceived stress, shorter telomere length, lower telomerase activity and increased oxidative stress. Perceived stress levels were correlated with all three markers of cellular aging in both the caregivers and the mothers of healthy children. When telomere length was analyzed, women who perceived the greatest stress were found to have experienced the equivalent of ten years of additional aging compared to participants who perceived the lowest stress levels. Decreased telomerase activity and increased oxidative stress were also significantly higher in the group who reported the most stress. Coauthor and Morris Herzstein Professor of Biology and Physiology at UCSF’s Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD, commented, "The results were striking. This is the first evidence that chronic psychological stress -- and how a person perceives stress -- may damp down telomerase and have a significant impact on the length of telomeres, suggesting that stress may modulate the rate of cellular aging." The findings suggest that the telomerase activity of immune cells could be impaired in individuals experiencing chronic stress. A long term study is currently being conducted to determine if the rate of telomere shortening over time is faster in chronically stressed individuals than in those with lower stress levels. It should be noted that although our involvement in situations considered stressful may sometimes be beyond our power to control, our reaction to the situation, i.e. our perception of stress, can be modified. Our source: www.lef.org Life Extension Foundation Glenn B. Soberman, PhD, author Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.