The Difficult People in Your Life Are Aging You Faster
Midjourney
Energy Vampires: You know that old friend or family member who leaves you feeling completely drained after every single interaction? New research published in PNAS suggests your body registers their presence, too, right down to the cellular level. These difficult people in your life may actually be speeding up how fast you’re aging.
The Study: Researchers analyzed data from over 2,000 adults and measured biological aging using DNA methylation, which tracks how quickly the body is aging at a molecular level. Each additional “hassler” (someone the participant reported as causing problems or making their life difficult) was associated with roughly nine months of biological aging. That’s because difficult relationships keep cortisol elevated and, over time, increase inflammatory markers like CRP and IL-6. Family hasslers showed the strongest effect, probably because you can’t exactly break up with your mom or brother.
The Takeaway: Auditing who actually leaves you feeling good is a legitimate self-care practice. Also, keep in mind that the study also found that supportive relationships were linked to slower aging.
Keep in Mind: This is observational research, so that the effect could be attributed simply to association. People who are already aging faster may also be more likely to perceive relationships negatively.
