Body Healty: 9 Factors That Make People Age Faster

According to a new study published this month, phobic anxiety, which is triggered by intense fear, contributes to aging more quickly. [source]

Although phobic anxieties are especially common in women, 8 percent of Americans have at least one, whether it's a specific fear such as arachnophobia -- fear of spiders -- or an overall uneasiness in certain situations like agoraphobia or social phobia. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital analyzed survey results and blood samples from 5,243 women, ages 42 to 69, finding that intense phobic anxiety leads to faster biological aging.

"Many people wonder about whether -- and how -- stress can make us age faster," study author Olivia Okereke said in a statement. "So, this study is notable for showing a connection between a common form of psychological stress -- phobic anxiety -- and a plausible mechanism for premature aging."

Okereke and her team found a link between anxiety and shorter telomeres, DNA-protein complexes on the ends of chromosomes that are thought to be the biological markers of aging. Although, phobic anxiety may be a mechanism of early aging according to the study, the research could not "prove cause-and-effect or which problem came first -- the anxiety or shorter telomeres," Okereke said.

So while more research would need to be conducted in order to pinpoint the exact cause, the study's results did confirm that phobic anxiety joins a host of other factors that are linked to faster aging.

In 2005, researchers correlated smoking and obesity with biological aging. A 2009 study on identical twins confirmed the results, while also noting other factors that contribute to accelerated aging.

Even geography has an impact on how quickly people age. A recent report from RealAge.com identified 10 cities whose residents age too fast; Knoxville, Tenn., and Louisville, Ky., topped the list, whereas San Francisco, Cali., and Salt Lake City, Utah, were ranked the highest among cities for staying young.

Check out the gallery to see seven other factors that are known to make people age faster.

Phobic Anxiety

Women's Hospital suggests that phobic anxiety can lead to faster biological aging, along with other health-related problems. Author Olivia Okereke and her team studied the relationship between anxiety and telomeres, the DNA-protein complexes at the end of chromosomes that act as biological markers of aging, finding that symptoms of phobic anxiety are linked to shorter telomeres. The study, published in PLoS ONE, established that phobic anxiety is a plausible mechanism for accelerated aging, but did not prove that anxiety is the root cause.

Sun Exposure

Mom was right when she told you to put on some sunscreen at the beach; too much sun exposure contributes to wrinkles and accelerated external aging. [source] While natural pigments provide some protection, chronic sun exposure can lead to age spots and elastosis, or the breakdown of elastic tissue in the skin that produces leathery skin appearance prevalent among farmers.

Divorce

Separating from a spouse may also leading to accelerated aging, according to a 2009 facial analysis study conducted on sets of identical twins. [study] According to the study led by a team of plastic surgeons, twins who had been divorced looked noticeably older -- 1.7 years older to be exact -- than twins who had not gone through a divorce. As Time's John Cloud writes, "you are better off staying single than getting into a bad relationship."

Smoking

It's no secret that smoking is bad for one's health. The pesky habit can age people faster both on the outside, by contributing to wrinkles [source], and on the inside since smoking is associated with a host of serious health problems. A 2005 study linked smoking with shorter telomere length -- the biological markers of aging -- according to WebMD. [source] More recently, Dr. Bahman Guyuron, who conducted a facial analysis study on pairs of identical twins, also noted that smoking is one of the factors that contributes to accelerated aging.

Sugar

Poor diets can also contribute to faster aging. High sugar intake, for example, can cause unhealthy weight gain, but the real aging factor is how one's body recognizes and uses sugar.[source] A 2009 study out of Montreal found that the lifespan of yeast cells increased as glucose in the system decreased, or if glucose sensors were removed. [source] Either way, over-consumption of sugar, leading to high amounts of sugar on in one's body, is linked to aging.

Antidepressants

According to the 2009 facial analysis study conducted on identical twins, antidepressants can also lead to accelerated aging. Researchers reviewed photographs of 186 sets of twins, finding that those who had taken antidepressants often looked older than their respective counterparts who had not [source]

Loneliness

Loneliness in old age may also contribute to people aging more quickly. In a 2011 study, 985 people were assessed on a five-point scale for loneliness. Researchers found that for each point on the scale past the baseline, motor decline was 40 percent more rapid. More importantly, this increased rate of motor decline was also associated with a 50 percent increased risk of death. So while aging may be accelerated by divorce, loneliness is also a crucial aging factor.

Overcooked Food

Glycation is what happens to the proteins in our body as we age. The same process turns a turkey’s skin brown and crispy when it’s cooked.

Glycation is really the binding of protein and glucose molecules. The result is a spoiled protein assembly. These deviants are glycotoxins. And glycotoxins are responsible for accelerated aging and disease. As the glycotoxins accumulate in your cells, they send out chemical signals. The body responds by producing sites of inflammation. This is the process of aging and disease. [source]

Lack of Sleep

Cutting back on sleep is an extremely common response to the time pressures of modern industrial societies. The average night's sleep decreased from about nine hours in 1910 to about 7.5 hours in 1975, a trend that continues. Millions of shift workers average less than five hours per work day. Researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center found that lack of sleep alters hormones, metabolism, and stimulates effects of aging [source]. They found that even eight hours of sleep does not produce the fully rested state. Young adults may function best after more than eight hours of rest each night.

Majority of article written by Sara Gates.

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