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Anxiety, phobias may age chromosomes faster

Anxiety linked with phobias could speed the aging process by as much as six years, according to a recently published study.

Olivia I. Okereke, MD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and colleagues looked at the blood samples of 5,243 women between the ages of 42 and 69 and compared that data with survey responses about anxiety and phobias.

The researchers noted that the women who reported phobias, such as a fear of heights, had shorter telomeres, (the outer part of the chromosome that protects them from deteriorating) than women who did not have phobias.

 “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 said in a press release about the study. “However, this type of study design cannot prove cause-and-effect or which problem came first, the anxiety or shorter telomeres.”

Okereke and colleagues noted that although previous studies have supported the notion that long-term stress can lead to shorter telomeres, their research also indicated short-term nervousness can actually boost immunity.

The researchers urged further prospective investigations relating anxiety and telomere shortening.