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Worrying about getting older seems to actually speed up how fast your body ages. That’s a key finding from social scientists and epidemiologists at New York University School of Global Public Health, and published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology. The study demonstrates that anxiety about aging with fears about future health are linked to measurable changes in cellular biological aging.

The study included 726 middle aged adult American women. These participants were surveyed for levels of aging anxiety. Their blood samples were evaluated for two epigenetic markers: DunedinPACE that measures the aging rate; and GrimAge2 that estimates cumulative biological wear and tear.

Women with higher aging anxiety show significantly faster biological aging on the DunedinPACE measure. The strongest aging driver is fear of health decline, while concerns about appearance and fertility show no significant association with actual aging. Adjusting for social behaviors including smoking and alcohol use weakened the association between anxiety and accelerated aging suggesting that lifestyle may partly explain the effect.

Mental stress driven by persistent worries about your health is associated with real physical consequences without a solid cause and effect. Though this study does not prove cause and effect, managing anxiety, maintaining healthy habits, and addressing fears about aging seem to improve long-term health. Health-related anxiety appears to matter more biologically than concerns about appearance.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453025004275?via=ihub

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260225081205.htm

#anxiety #aging #appearance

Worrying Yourself Into The Grave