The immune cells of women under extreme mental stress age faster than those in women not facing such pressure, a new study reports. While previous reports have linked physical effects with stress, the new analysis helps pinpoint an important focus for these problems. The study focused on the telomeres in the chromosomes of particular immune cells of 58 women between the ages of 20 and 50. Telomeres cap the ends of chromosomes and shorten as cells reproduce, a measure of age. When they reach a minimum level the cells can no longer reproduce. The report, published in Monday’s issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that the telomeres in the cells of women under stress had undergone the equivalent of 10 years of additional aging, compared to women living more normal lives.
