Unexpected results of a new study on the impact of the behavior of others on our health.
People who constantly cause us problems do not just spoil our mood. US scientists warn that they can have a negative effect on our health and make us age prematurely.
After conducting research on several thousand volunteers who were over 100 years old, they found that those who systematically came into contact with such people had a greater biological age.
Biological age describes the state of the body and specifically how old the cells are. It is often different from chronological age, which simply describes the date of birth.
Biological age is influenced by lifestyle, stress and other parameters of our daily life. Now it turns out that the people in our lives also contribute to this.
New findings are published Scientific Journal of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). As the researchers write, social relationships are important for health. However, research so far has focused primarily on their supportive dimension.
In this study, they wanted to determine their potential effects annoying types or harassers (hasslers). This is the category of people who are in our immediate social circle and who constantly create problems or make our lives difficult.
Research
Investigate the issue they include in their research 2345 volunteers, broad chronological age. They ranged in age from 18 to 103 (average age 46) so they could be screened. timeless their biological aging.
Participants completed a detailed questionnaire about their relationship during the last semester. Among other things, they answered that someone in their life “bothered them, caused problems for them, or generally made their lives difficult.”
The scientists also asked their volunteers to rate their health. Finally, they collected saliva samples to analyze and record epigenetic changes. These changes occur in gene function due to environmental factors (e.g. food quality, stress, pollution) and lifestyle (e.g. diet, smoking, etc.).
Findings
As the researchers found, the negative relationship only they are not rare. Almost 30% participants said that in their lives at least one person which always created problems for them.
It was about the existence of each of these people increases aging rate by 1.5%. is also associated with 9 months increase in biological age.
However not everyone had it angry boys same effect. Participants’ parents and children were cited as sources of persistent problems more than their spouses. Outside the family, co-workers, roommates, and neighbors are more likely to cause persistent problems.
They are more luckon the other hand, being tormented by someone who is constantly causing them trouble:
- Women
- Those facing health problems
- Those who have had negative experiences since childhood
Researchers believe that if someone constantly makes our life difficult, it creates a strong stress in us. This is known to have a negative effect on psychosomatic health and is ultimately “printed” in our DNA.
What is the solution? It’s clear: scientists constantly recommend reducing contact with anyone who makes life difficult for you.