Stress Can Shorten Telomere Length and Age Cells Prematurely

A new study (Effros, 2008) reported by Science Daily and published in the May issue of Brain, Behavior and Immunity has discovered the mechanism by which stress ages the body and lowers its resistance to severe illness. It is normal for the body to release stress hormones when in stressful situations, but when this condition persists and the stress hormones such as cortisol are present in the bloodstream for a prolonged period of time, they can lead to shorter telomere length and damage the ability of the body's cells to divide. Cortisol levels in the blood are substantially lower with lower stress levels.

Stress Shortens Telomere Length

The cell's ability to divide is key to preserving young and active cells in the immune system. This ability is governed by the length of a part of the cell called a telomere. Ordinarily, the telomere which is found at both ends of immune cells, gets a bit shorter every time the cell divides. Once the telomere becomes too short, the cell loses its ability to divide and create new immune cells. Under normal conditions, the body produces telomerase which protects the immune cell's telomeres and helps to maintain their length.

When a person is under stress, cortisol is produced and released into the bloodstream. The study, authored by Professor Rita Effros of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, shows that the stress hormone cortisol hinders the cell's ability to use telomerase to preserve telomere length. People under chronic stress have shorter telomeres and therefore less active immune systems.

Telomere Length Governs Cell's Effective Age

As people age telomeres become shorter and shorter. Hastening that shortening through the effects of chronic stress produces the same effects on immune cells as advanced aging. So far, there is no way to lengthen a telomere once the damage is done. The short telomere length is passed on to the new cell when the original one divides. The length of the telomere is like a countdown on the lifespan of the immune cells that marches inexorable onward in one direction. The best that can be done is to lower stress levels to slow down that march.

Prevent Premature Aging with Lower Stress Levels

The message of the study is clear. Avoiding chronic stress is the key to preventing the self-destructive premature aging and breakdown of the immune system. Although Dr. Effros believes that science may one day develop drugs to increase the effectiveness of telomerase, even in the presence of high cortisol levels, such technology does not yet exist. Until then, finding ways to lower stress levels is the best avenue to maintain a strong immune system and youthful cell structure. Even the stress of an hour of driving to and from work each day, emotional tensions at home or work, illness of a loved one, or any similar situation that persists over time is enough to cause elevated cortisol levels and permanent damage the immune system.

Source:
University of California - Los Angeles (2008, July 16). Mechanism Behind Mind-body Connection Discovered. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/07/080715152325.htm