Does Stress Really Make You Age? What Research Reveals About the Link Between Stress and Aging

There Are Two Types of “Stress”: Stress on Cells and Mental Stress

When talking about “aging from stress,” it is important to first distinguish between two different meanings of the word “stress.”

The first is stress on cells. In the research world, anything that damages cells—such as ultraviolet light, reactive oxygen species, radiation, and harmful chemicals—is called “stress.” This has nothing to do with your feelings.

The second is mental stress (psychological stress), which is what we usually mean by the term. This refers to situations that make us feel overwhelmed or tense, such as work pressure, interpersonal relationships, caregiving, and worries.

These two are different, but they are not completely unrelated. When you experience mental stress, hormones and nerves in your body change. It is thought that these changes may eventually affect your cells. In this article, we will first look at how stress affects cells and causes aging, and then examine research on mental stress.

Why Cells Age When They Are Stressed

Cells respond differently depending on the intensity of the stress.

• Severe stress: Cells die.
• Weak stress that is not severe enough to kill the cells but continues: Cells remain alive but stop dividing. This is “cellular senescence.”

In other words, unlike “death,” cellular senescence is a state in which damaged cells stop dividing and remain in place. These cells are called “senescent cells.” Senescent cells can release substances that cause inflammation and make nearby cells age as well. For more details, see the research column “What Are Senescent Cells?.”

That stress causes aging has long been confirmed in experiments.

• In a 1994 study, human cells were treated for two hours with hydrogen peroxide (a type of reactive oxygen species) at a level that would not kill the cells. The cells stopped dividing and took on the appearance and characteristics of aged cells.
• In a 1995 study, human cells grown at a low oxygen concentration (3%) similar to that inside the body—rather than at the same oxygen concentration as the air (20%)—were able to divide about 50% more times. This suggests that cells are less likely to age when they suffer less damage from oxygen.

Both were experiments on cells in petri dishes, but they provide a foundation for the idea that “accumulated damage causes cells to age.”

Does Mental Stress Really Make Your Body Age?

So, is mental stress related to aging? One of the most prominent studies attempting to answer this question was published in the United States in 2004.

The study involved 58 healthy mothers aged 20 to 50. Among them, 39 were mothers caring for children with chronic illnesses, and 19 were mothers of healthy children. The research team examined white blood cells and measured the length of their “telomeres.” Telomeres are located at the ends of chromosomes and shorten slightly each time a cell divides, so they are used as markers of cellular aging.

The results were as follows:

• Mothers who had been caregiving for longer tended to have shorter telomeres.
• Those who reported feeling “more stressed” tended to have shorter telomeres, lower activity of telomerase (the enzyme that maintains telomeres), and greater oxidative damage.
• When comparing those who reported the highest levels of stress with those who reported the lowest, the difference in telomere length was equivalent to at least 10 years in age (the research team estimated 9 to 17 years).

However, there are important caveats. In this study, there was no difference in telomere length when comparing mothers based solely on whether they were caregiving. The differences were related to how much stress each mother felt and how long she had been feeling it. Also, because the study measured telomeres only once at a single point in time, it cannot be concluded that “stress shortened the telomeres.”

In a 2016 report that analyzed many studies (22 studies involving about 9,000 people), a relationship was found between higher levels of perceived stress and shorter telomeres, but the relationship was described as “very small.” It has also been suggested that the relationship may be somewhat stronger with stress caused by major life events.

What Is the Relationship Between Work Stress and Aging?

There is also research on work stress. In a 2012 study in Finland involving 2,911 working adults aged 30 to 64, those who were completely exhausted and felt as though they had “burned out” at work tended to have slightly shorter telomeres in their white blood cells than those who did not. This relationship remained even after accounting for age, sex, smoking, body mass, and pre-existing conditions.

However, this study also measured telomeres only once. The researchers themselves stated that studies are needed to track changes in telomeres over time. It is important to understand that this does not prove that “work stress accelerates aging,” but rather that there “appears to be a relationship.”

Do Markers of Aging Return When You Recover from Stress?

If stress makes you age, what happens after the stress is gone? A study published in 2023 addressed this question.

This study used a method to estimate age based on the patterns of “marks” (methylation) on DNA in the blood—known as an epigenetic clock or biological age—to examine changes when people experienced severe stress.

• Emergency Surgery: In older patients (averaging about 78 years old) who underwent emergency surgery for hip fractures (9 people), their estimated age increased within 24 hours of surgery and returned to previous levels by the time they were discharged (4 to 7 days after surgery).
• Pregnancy: During pregnancy, estimated age increased, peaked around the time of childbirth, and then returned to previous levels after childbirth.
• Severe COVID-19: In 29 patients who were placed on ventilators in intensive care units, women saw their estimated age return to previous levels after discharge, but no clear changes were observed in men. Also, one of the indicators of the rate of aging did not return to its previous level after discharge.

The research team stated that biological age has a “fluctuating” nature, increasing in the short term due to stress and returning to previous levels when you recover. At the same time, they noted several limitations: results vary depending on the indicator used, the number of participants was small, and it is not yet known how these temporary changes affect long-term aging and health.

In other words, the study showed that “even if markers of aging temporarily increase due to severe stress, they can return to previous levels when you recover.” However, it has not yet been confirmed whether the same thing happens with everyday mental stress.

What Is the Relationship Between Gray Hair and Stress?

We also often hear that “stress makes your hair turn gray.” A 2020 mouse study found that severe stress causes the sympathetic nerves connected to the hair roots (nerves that become active when you are tense) to work more intensely, triggering a sudden release of noradrenaline. As a result, the body’s supply of melanocyte stem cells, which give hair its color, is depleted, causing newly grown hair to turn gray. What drew attention was that the cause was nerves, not so-called stress hormones (hormones produced by the adrenal glands) or the immune system.

In humans, however, a 2021 study measuring color changes in individual hairs reported that some gray hair had regained its color during periods when stress had decreased. However, the study only examined 14 people, and only two of them were assessed for their relationship with stress. The findings were limited to the observation that “the periods overlapped,” and the researchers themselves described the evidence as merely suggesting a possible explanation. We plan to introduce the mechanism behind gray hair in more detail in another article.

Do Yoga and Meditation Change Markers of Aging?

There is also research on how yoga and meditation, as ways of coping with stress, affect markers of aging. In a 2017 study published in India, 96 people aged 30 to 65 who led lifestyles that were not particularly healthy, such as being physically inactive, participated in a program for 12 weeks, spending about two hours a day on yoga poses, breathing exercises, meditation, and lectures.

After 12 weeks, the following markers in the blood had changed:

• Telomerase activity: Increased by an average of about 1.5 times
• Cortisol, a stress hormone: Decreased by an average of about 20%
• Reactive oxygen species, markers of oxidative DNA damage, and markers of inflammation (IL-6): Decreased
• Telomere length: Increased slightly, but not by a clear margin

However, this study had no control group (a group that did not participate in the program). The researchers themselves stated that this was a limitation. Participants also lost an average amount of weight, so it was impossible to determine what caused the changes. It would be inappropriate to say that “yoga and meditation stop aging” or “make you younger.” Instead, it is more appropriate to view it as “a small exploratory study that showed the possibility that yoga and meditation can change markers of aging.”

What to Keep in Mind When Reading Research

Research on stress and aging is frequently discussed in the news and on social media. When reading such information, it is recommended to check the following points.

• Is it a study on cells and animals, or a study on humans?: What happens with cells in petri dishes or mice may not necessarily happen in humans. The mechanism behind gray hair was also discovered in mice.
• Does it show only a relationship, or has it also confirmed cause and effect?: A study that measures telomeres only once (an observational study) may show that “people who report higher levels of stress tend to have shorter telomeres,” but it cannot determine whether stress is the cause. For example, differences in underlying physical traits may be involved in both.
• Has only a marker changed, or has health also changed?: Telomeres and biological age are “markers” of aging. Even if these markers change, it does not mean that diseases have been reduced or life expectancy has been extended.
• Is there a control group, and is the number of participants sufficient?: The significance of results from studies without a control group or involving only dozens of people is limited.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is all stress bad for your body?

A. Not necessarily. In the 2023 study introduced here, even though markers of aging temporarily increased due to major stressors such as surgery and pregnancy, they returned to previous levels as the person recovered. What the research suggests is that rather than stress itself being the problem, it is important to be aware of situations in which severe stress continues for a long time and cannot be recovered from. However, research is still ongoing to determine how everyday stress affects the body.

Q. Do telomeres that have shortened due to stress return to their original length?

A. At this point, it cannot be said with certainty. In the study on yoga and meditation, telomeres lengthened slightly, but not by a clear margin. Telomere length varies greatly from person to person and can also differ depending on how it is measured, so it is important not to draw conclusions from a single study.

Q. Can my “biological age” be measured with a test?

A. Methods that estimate biological age from methylation marks on DNA are used in research. However, results can vary depending on the method, and these tests are still developing as a way to assess health.

Q. What should I do when stress is difficult to cope with?

A. This article introduces research and is not intended to recommend ways to cope with stress or to recommend treatment. If you are unable to sleep, continue to feel depressed, or experience other distressing symptoms for an extended period, do not try to cope alone. Please consult a medical doctor, counselor, or other professional.

Summary

Research on stress and aging attempts to examine the connection between the mind and body in concrete terms, such as markers in cells and genes. The research team at Yokohama City University has continued to study cellular aging and rejuvenation for about 40 years. We will continue to share what we learn from this research in an easy-to-understand way.

Related Pages

• Research Column “What Are Senescent Cells?”
• Research Column “Was the Root Cause of Aging “Waste Accumulation”?”
• Aging Research

Citations and References

1. Chen Q, Ames BN. Senescence-like growth arrest induced by hydrogen peroxide in human diploid fibroblast F65 cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 1994.
2. Chen Q, et al. Oxidative DNA damage and senescence of human diploid fibroblast cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 1995.
3. Epel ES, et al. Accelerated telomere shortening in response to life stress. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2004.
4. Mathur MB, et al. Perceived stress and telomere length: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and methodologic considerations for advancing the field. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 2016.
5. Ahola K, et al. Work-related exhaustion and telomere length: a population-based study. PLoS One. 2012.
6. Poganik JR, et al. Biological age is increased by stress and restored upon recovery. Cell Metabolism. 2023.
7. Zhang B, et al. Hyperactivation of sympathetic nerves drives depletion of melanocyte stem cells. Nature. 2020.
8. Rosenberg AM, et al. Quantitative mapping of human hair greying and reversal in relation to life stress. eLife. 2021.
9. Tolahunase M, et al. Impact of Yoga and Meditation on Cellular Aging in Apparently Healthy Individuals: A Prospective, Open-Label Single-Arm Exploratory Study. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2017.