Along the same vein as my post on neurogenesis which referenced a study showing that stressors cause an atrophy, or at least a stunted growth, of brain cells I came upon another study that relates stressors to early cellular ageing.
Telemeres are the protective end caps on either end of chromosomes. When the cells are stressed they divide more often and the telemeres shorten which allows a greater potential for damage to the chromosomes.
The study specifically compares manual and non-manual workers in high and low social strata. Those manual workers in lower social strata had about seven years' worth of additional erosion to the chromosomal protection which makes these peoples more likely to get sick or manifest a disease.
Bottom line: all work and no play makes Jack dull and old
Read the article here from New Scientist
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Quasi-Governmental Widget Factory
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2 comments:
Ahhhhh, so that's why I feel so old! I'll have to work on that, except I prefer my own cliche, "All work and no prey makes Drac a dull boy!"
Thanks. That is depressing.
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