Why You Don't "Look Marvelous" Under Stress

Stressful circumstances were associated with telomere shortening in leukocytes and with other indicators of cellular aging.

We have all noticed individuals in stressful life circumstances who don't look well. These investigators took a unique and thought-provoking approach to examining the relation between stress (both physiological and psychological) and health. They analyzed telomere length in lymphocytes, which shortens after every cycle of cell division, thus indicating cell age and the potential for future division. Oxidative stress also can shorten telomeres. Telomerase, which adds DNA to telomeres, directly protects them.

The researchers studied 58 healthy premenopausal women (average age, 38): 39 were mothers of a chronically ill child (caregiving group; years of caregiving, 1-12), and 19 were mothers of a healthy child (control group). Mean telomere leng…

Reviewing Author

Jonathan Silver, MD