Anxiety linked to shortened telomeres, accelerated aging:
research (Medical Xpress) -- Is anxiety related to premature
aging? A new study by researchers at Brigham and Women's
Hospital (BWH) shows that a common form of anxiety, known as
phobic anxiety, was associated with shorter telomeres in middle-
aged and older women. The study suggests that phobic anxiety is
a possible risk factor for accelerated aging. The study will be
electronically published on July 11, 2012 in PLoS ONE. Telomeres
are DNA-protein complexes at the ends of chromosomes. They
protect chromosomes from deteriorating and guard the genetic
information at the ends of chromosomes during cell division.
Telomeres are considered markers of biological or cellular
aging. Shortened telomeres have been linked to increased risk of
cancers, heart disease, dementia and mortality. In this large,
cross-sectional study, researchers had obtained blood samples
from 5,243 women, age 42 to 69 years, who were participants in
the Nurses' Health Study. Using the s