This increases this risk more than smoking, which adds up to 1.65 years to a person’s biological age.
Researchers at Stanford University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong say that feeling depressed or lonely can age us faster than smoking. They revealed this by compiling a digital model of aging, which shows the importance of psychological health, writes The Guardian.
A new study found that psychological factors, such as feelings of sadness or loneliness, add up to 1.65 years to a person’s biological age.
“Although everyone has an age based on their date of birth—their chronological age—they also have what is called a biological age, based on the aging of body functions influenced by genetics, lifestyle, and other factors . Previous studies have suggested that the higher the biological age, the higher the risk of various diseases and the risk of death. Now, researchers say they have created a digital model of aging that shows the importance of psychological health.
“Your body and soul are connected – this is our main message,” said Fedor Galkin, co-author of the study and lead researcher at the Hong Kong startup Deep Longevity.
Data for the study were collected from 4,846 adults in 2015 through the China Health and Retirement program. They included 16 blood biomarkers with cholesterol and glucose levels, participants’ gender, and information such as their blood pressure, body mass index, and measures of lung function.
The team then compared the chronological ages of the people predicted by the model to their actual ages. The results showed an average difference of about 5.7 years more or less than the real age of the participant.
The team found that when the model was applied to CHARLS data from another 2,617 Chinese adults with age-related diseases, those with a history of stroke, liver, and lung disease were predicted to be older in 4,451 healthy adults, comparing them on a chronological basis: age, sex and place of residence.
The average effect of these conditions did not increase the predicted age by more than 18 months. However, the team found other factors that affect the rate of aging.
“We show that psychological factors, such as feelings of sadness or loneliness, add up to 1.65 years to biological age,” they wrote.
Scientists say that taking care of your mental health is the biggest contribution a person can make to slowing the rate of aging.
The team also reports that people who smoke are predicted to be 15 months older than their non-smoking peers, and marriage reduces biological age by about seven months. In addition, people living in rural areas are predicted to be about five months older than their urban counterparts.
Remember that German scientists from the Max Planck Institute for the Biology of Aging studied a drug called rapamycin and said that, if used correctly, it can prolong life.
Name five habits that accelerate aging
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Source: korrespondent
