Genetic factors account for only 15 to 25 percent of aging, while lifestyle has a larger impact on biological aging. Chronological age measures years lived, but biological age reflects how cells, tissues, and organs function and age. Chronic stress accelerates biological aging through cellular mechanisms involving sympathetic activation and elevated cortisol. Stress increases reactive oxygen species that can damage DNA in telomeres, the protective caps at chromosome ends. Telomeres shorten with cell division, and excessive shortening can stop cell division or push cells into inactivity. Evidence-based lifestyle changes can slow or even reverse biological age, and daily habits matter more than anti-aging products.
"It used to be thought that lifespan was primarily determined by genetics. But we now know that genetic factors account for only 15 to 25 percent of aging. Lifestyle is what matters most, and certain evidence-based lifestyle changes can help to slow, or even reverse, biological age. While chronological age is the number of years you have been alive, biological age is a more accurate measure of how your cells, tissues, and organs are aging. Two people can have the same chronological age, but very different biological ages."
"Chronic stress leads to advanced biological age through a complex interplay of various cellular mechanisms. Stress activates the sympathetic fight-or-flight part of our nervous system, elevating cortisol levels. This boosts the production of reactive oxygen species that can directly damage DNA in telomeres, the caps on the very ends of our chromosomes. Think of telomeres as the plastic tips on shoelaces that prevent them from fraying. Every time a cell divides, the telomeres get slightly shorter, and if they become too short, the cell stops dividing or becomes inactive."
"While the promise of reversing aging through external interventions is appealing, science continues to point toward something both simpler and more profound. Healthy aging is less about what we add and more about how we live. In a culture increasingly focused on anti-aging solutions, from supplements to cosmetic procedures, it's easy to overlook one of the most powerful tools for longevity: the body's own ability to restore and repair itself."
Read at Psychology Today
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