/Health news/Frequent Stress Increases Biological Age

Frequent Stress Increases Biological Age

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According to research funded by the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA), exposure to stress can increase biological age in humans and mice. However, biological age can decrease once the stress is resolved. The findings of this study were published in Cell Metabolism, a leading American research journal.

Understanding Biological Age

Biological age refers to the accumulated damage, physiological changes, and functional decline that occur in a person’s cells over time. One method scientists use to measure biological age is by examining the epigenome—a record of changes to cellular DNA and its associated proteins.

Under the leadership of scientists from Harvard University, this study employed DNA methylation (DNAm)-based aging clocks to measure changes in biological age in response to various stressors. Researchers began with an experiment that induced physiological aging in young mice or rejuvenated physiological conditions in older mice by surgically connecting 3-month-old mice with 20-month-old mice, allowing them to share blood.

Key Findings in Mice

At the molecular level, the researchers discovered that the biological age of young mice increased when measured by most aging clocks. However, when the young mice were separated from the older mice, their biological age reverted to a youthful state as they no longer experienced the physiological conditions of the older mice. This finding suggests that biological age is dynamic and potentially reversible, as indicated by DNAm aging clocks.

Human Findings: Stress and Biological Age

Next, researchers analyzed blood samples from individuals who had recently experienced stressful situations, including surgeries (both emergency and elective), pregnancy, or severe COVID-19. Blood samples from patients who underwent emergency surgeries showed an increase in biological age the morning after surgery, which returned to pre-surgery levels within four to seven days. Elective surgeries had a lesser impact on biological age, likely due to pre-surgery protocols designed to aid recovery.

Similarly, both human and mouse pregnancies caused an increase in biological age during childbirth, which then decreased during postpartum recovery.

The research team also observed reversible biological aging in older adults with severe COVID-19, although the degree of change varied depending on factors like gender and treatment methods. Notably, individuals treated with the immunosuppressant tocilizumab—a drug commonly prescribed for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis—exhibited greater reversal of stress-induced biological age increases associated with COVID-19.

Implications and Future Directions

The observed increases and subsequent recovery in biological age highlight potential targets for geroscience-based interventions to improve health outcomes in later life. Future research could delve deeper into how temporary fluctuations in biological age influence the aging process throughout a person’s lifespan.

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