Every one of us complains about being overly stressed. We have all accepted that stress is a natural part of life. However, recent research on chronic stress suggests that the damaging effects of stress can begin to impact us even before we are conceived. A recent interview with Dr. Elissa Epel in the APA Monitor entitled How chronic stress is harming our DNA, outlines how stress can affect our DNA and the ways in which we can combat the damaging effects. Numerous studies have linked chronic stress to shorter telomeres, a strand of DNA that has been linked to cellular aging, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Specifically, telomeres are a protective casing at the end of our DNA strands. When our cells divide, we lose a small percentage of telomeres. Fortunately, we have an enzyme called telomerase that can restore it. Unfortunately, things in our environment, including chronic stress and cortisol exposure can have a negative impact on our supply of telomerase. The lose of the ability to replenish our telomeres can set the aging process into motion, as well as associated health risks. Individuals who experience chronic stress have telomeres that look significantly older than their stated age. Additionally, when comparing individuals with psychiatric disorders and dysregulated emotional responses to individuals who have never experienced these disorders, the individuals who experience disorders associated with dysregulated emotional responses have shorter telomeres. Several other studies have looked at maternal health and telomeres. The results up to this point indicate that the higher a mother’s prenatal anxiety, the shorter the baby’s telomere lengths tend to be. Despite this research, science recognizes that the best buffers against chronic stress include exercise and a strong social network.
