Does fear of aging accelerate physical aging? This question may seem surprising, but a recent scientific study indicates that the constant fear of aging, especially health-related anxiety, can leave a real biological imprint on the body, even at the cellular level.
Aging anxiety:
The results show that anxiety about aging is not just thoughts and feelings, but can turn over time into chronic stress that affects the way the body ages, especially in women. Society often associates women’s value with youth, appearance, and ability to reproduce, making anxiety about aging more acute and persistent.
The study was led by researcher Mariana Rodriguez from the NYU School of Global Public Health, and was based on data from 726 women who participated in a long-term US national study known as MIDUS.
Participants were asked to answer questions related to concerns about aging, such as declining health, losing attractiveness, or being past childbearing age.
Measuring biological aging:
To measure biological aging, researchers used what are known as epigenetic clocks, which are tools that measure how quickly the body ages, based on chemical changes that affect gene activity.
The results showed that women who expressed greater anxiety about aging, especially health anxiety, biologically aged faster.
Interestingly, concerns related to appearance or fertility did not show the same relationship, suggesting that health anxiety may be more persistent and influential. Chronic psychological stress affects hormones, inflammation, and daily behaviors, all of which accelerate aging and increase the risk of chronic diseases.
The study, published in the journal “Psychoneuroendocrinology,” confirms that mental health is not separate from the body, and that taking the fear of aging seriously may be an essential step towards slower and healthier aging.
