Women of the same age can look so that one will seem older than the other – this is confirmed by science. American scientists from Stanford University have found that there is a serious factor in the appearance of women.
According to experts, this factor is a hereditary inclination to depression; in such a case the female gender can age prematurely.
The link between inherited depressive character and the rapid aging has been identified by the scientists in the course of the study, which involved girls aged 10 to 14 years with a family history of depression. They were compared with healthy girls, and then it was found that the body of the participants behaved in a special way in stressful situations.
The girls with a family history of depression overreacted to stress.
Those who are prone to depression have higher levels of the cortisol hormone released in the body. According to the authors of the study, in large quantities it can cause damage to the immune system, brain and other organs.
This work of scientists also showed a link between hereditary depression and shorter telomeres in the cells of the female body. Telomeres are located at chromosome ends and protect DNA from damage; they are directly related to aging. Their shortening means inclination to serious diseases as well as premature death.
According to the researchers, the telomeres at the ends of chromosomes in any case become shorter as they grow and get mature. However, elevated cortisol levels, produced under stress, contribute to the fact that shortening gets more intense.
Note that the previous studies also showed a tendency to premature aging in women, exposed to fear, anxiety, and worry. Recent work of the experts revealed how deep the detrimental effect of permanent stress on the body could be. In case when it comes to depression, both personal and genetic mechanisms are affected.
