The key to a long life: develop resistance to stress

Everyone feel stress at some point or another. Whether it's worrying about a loved one or coping with a difficult co-worker, these tips will teach you about the effects of chronic stress on your health.

The word stress is so overused today that it has nearly lost its meaning. So, we want to introduce some new words. First, say hello to norepinephrine, epinephrine, cortisol, vasopressin and aldosterone. These are all hormones your body releases when a psychological or physical challenge suddenly confronts you.

These chemicals play a major role in inflammation. This inflammation damages cells, leading to a host of health problems. Every time you are scared, pressured, angered or frustrated, your body releases chemicals that lead to inflammation, and this is one of the major harms caused by acute stress.

But there is news in the world of stress. To understand it, you first need to know that there's a second type of stress that's much more problematic than the type caused when someone shouts an insult at you. Chronic psychological stress is when troubles gnaw at you persistently over time. Think of ongoing financial woes, mean-spirited bosses, out-of-control children, tough daily commutes, an underlying sense of insecurity, and even deep resentments about politics or neighbours. It turns out that chronic stress ages you cell by cell. It does so by literally shortening a part of the cell called a telomere.

Telomeres are caps on the ends of the cell's chromosomes that help keep the chromosomes stable, just as the cap on a pen prevents ink from leaking. Every time a chromosome unzips to make copies of its genetic material so the cell can divide, however, the telomere gets a tiny bit shorter. The shorter the telomere, the worse the cell functions. Studies link shrinking telomeres to numerous age-related conditions, including high blood pressure and cholesterol, insulin resistance and early death, primarily from infection and cardiovascular disease.

Telomeres get some help in maintaining their length from an enzyme called telomerase, which is released by immune system cells. Telomerase builds up telomeres after replication, keeping the cell alive longer and functioning better. Eventually, however, the telomere gets so short it disappears, and the cell self-destructs and dies.

The new discovery: chronic psychological stress can shrink telomeres the same way hot water shrinks a wool sweater. It also seems to lower the amount of telomerase that immune cells release. And, in a vicious cycle, the less telomerase you have, the greater your body's response to stress and the more inflammatory chemicals are released. These findings are important because they show how psychological issues like stress have a harmful physical effect on our cells. The findings also provide crucial good news: It's how you perceive stress, rather than the actual cause of the stress, that leads to the harm.

If you can find ways to inoculate your body against overreacting to perceived stressors, you will halt the flow of inflammatory chemicals and stop the unnatural damage to your cells' telomeres. One famous study found that people who practiced transcendental meditation for 16 weeks had significantly improved blood pressure, insulin resistance, and heart rate readings when exposed to stress compared to those who didn't meditate. This all becomes even more important as you age, since studies find that your body's reaction to stress increases with age.