The aging process is not the same in all people; In fact, biological age is not the same as chronological age, since the former determines the state of health of the organism regardless of how old we are, and depends on several factors that influence throughout life, from genetic predisposition, the type of diet, physical and intellectual activity, the quality of sleep, the consumption of toxic substances -such as tobacco or alcohol-, and the more or less healthy environment that surrounds us, for example, it is very different to live in a place where we are exposed to great environmental pollution, than living near green areas.
The fragility, the loss of strength and muscle mass and the appearance of serious diseases associated with aging are due in part to the molecular damage that we experience over the years and that in some individuals is more intense, a condition known as accelerated aging. But emotional and psychological problems can also take a heavy toll on physical appearance and overall health, and a new study has found that being lonely and unhappy accelerates aging faster than smoking.
Psychological factors that cause accelerated aging
Once the unfortunate consequences of aging have occurred, little can be done to reverse the problem, however, an increase in the rate of aging can be detected early using digital aging models (aging clocks), which can also be used to apply personalized antiaging therapies, at an individual and population level.
Other factors related to the acceleration of aging were being single and living in a rural area, due to the fact that access to medical services is more difficult
The research, which has been published in Aging-US, points out that psychological factors contribute significantly to biological aging and that, therefore, any anti-aging therapy must be based on mental health as well as physical health. The work is the result of an international collaboration led by Deep Longevity in which American and Chinese scientists have participated, which has measured the impact that being alone, having a restless sleep, or feeling unhappy, has on the rate of aging and has revealed which are the most influential factors.
The study authors have presented a new aging clock that they have tested and verified with blood samples and biometric data from 11,914 Chinese adults. With this tool, they detected an acceleration of aging in individuals with a history of stroke, liver and lung disease, smokers, and, even more interesting, people with a vulnerable mental state. The results showed that feeling desperate, unhappy, and alone increases biological age more than smoking. They found that other factors linked to accelerated aging were being single and living in a rural area, because access to medical services is more difficult.
The researchers say that the psychological aspect of aging must be taken into account both in research and in anti-aging therapies. “Mental and psychosocial states are some of the strongest predictors of health outcomes and quality of life, but have been largely ignored in modern health care,” said Manuel Faria of Stanford University. According to Alex Zhavoronkov, CEO of Insilico Medicine, the study provides an intervention pathway to “slow or even reverse psychological aging on a national scale.”
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