Since childhood, we hear the saying that care is like a bonfire. That is, if a person worries about something or feels better worried, then his health is not good. Stress is something that we all have had to experience at some point in our personal lives. Similarly, when anxiety begins to rise in life, it takes the form of anxiety and depression, which is not only detrimental to our mental health, but also shortens our life span.

Yes… According to a new study, depression, loneliness, constant feeling of sadness, all of these can be the reason for our aging and can age us prematurely. More than a cigarette.

Find out what this study shows about depression and aging

According to research published in the Aging-US Journal, everyone has an age based on their date of birth (known as “chronological age”—but they also have “biological age,” which is the age of the body. Functions are based on aging. On one’s “biological age ” are influenced by genetics, lifestyle and other factors. Studies have previously suggested that the older the biological age, the greater the risk of various diseases and the risk of death.

what was the study process like

Researchers from Stanford University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong created an “aging clock” based on data collected from 4,846 adults in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The study included 16 blood biomarkers, including information such as cholesterol and glucose levels, participants’ gender, and their blood pressure and BMI. The team then compared the chronological ages of the individuals predicted by the model to their actual ages.

Study author Fedor Galkin said – “Psychological factors, such as feelings of sadness or loneliness, can add up to 1.65 years to a person’s biological age. “Overall, we observed that the speed of aging is related to psychological characteristics. This increase in biological age is comparable to the effect of smoking.

He adds: “Taking care of your mental health is also important as it relates to your ageing.”

Other factors can also be the cause of aging

Not only depression, but other psychological factors such as loneliness, hopelessness, poor sleep, unhappiness and fear can also cause rapid aging. Another interesting finding of the study is that marriage can reduce biological age by up to 7 months. While smokers are said to be 15 months older than non-smokers.

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