The disorder of social stress or anxiety characterized by the feeling of an intense and persistent fear of being observed and judged by others can contribute to the premature aging.
This was revealed by a study carried out by researchers from the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology at the University of Minnesota. (USA)published in the magazine Nature Aging.
According to the analysis, exposure to chronic subordination stress tested in male mice increased key markers of senescent cells in the mononuclear cells of peripheral blood, adipose tissue and brain, in a p16 Ink4a-dependent manner.
“p16 Ink4a-positive cells in the brains of mice exposed to chronic subordination stress were primarily hippocampal and cortical neurons with evidence of DNA damage that could be reduced by deletion of p16 Ink4a cells”the article detailed in its descriptive section. The senescent cells They are those that age and stop dividing, but do not die.
The researchers also indicated that elimination of p16 Ink4a positives was not sufficient to improve the adverse effects of the pathology on the measured metrics of the healthy life expectancy.
“Overall, our findings indicate that social stress induces an organ-specific, p16 Ink4a-dependent accumulation of senescent cells, illuminating a fundamental way by which the social environment may contribute to aging.”sentenced.
What is anxiety or social stress?
Anxiety or social stress disorder is a intense and persistent fear of being observed and judged by others. This fear can affect work, school, and other daily activities. It can even make it difficult to develop social ties, reported the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) dependent on the Department of Health and Human Services USA.
What are the symptoms of social anxiety?
Among the most common signs of the condition, those manifested by the person when surrounded by others or when they have to act in front of someone stand out, which causes:
- turning red, sweating, or shaking;
- having a fast heartbeat;
- feeling like your “mind goes blank” or having an upset stomach;
- displaying a rigid body posture or speaking with an extremely low voice;
- having difficulty making eye contact, being with, or talking to people they don’t know in social situations no matter how much they would like to;
- feeling insecure about themselves in front of other people or fearing that they will be judged negatively;
- Avoid places where there are other people.
