Health and Me

Ishita Srivastava

Worrying About Health Could Make Women Age Faster, NYU Study Shows

People around the world frequently worry about <span>aging</span>, worrying about physical decline, illness, and a loss of independence s they grow older. 

However, researchers at the <span>NYU School of Global Public Health</span> have found that women who worry over their declining health may actually speed up the aging process due to the related-psychological stress. 

<span>Mariana Rodrigues</span>, a PhD student at NYU School of Global Public Health and the first author of the study, said: "Our research suggests that subjective experiences may be driving objective measures of aging. Aging-related <span>anxiety</span> is not merely a psychological concern, but may leave a mark on the body with real health consequences."

"We know from previous research that anxiety, depression, and mental health in general are associated with a number of physical health outcomes, but until now researchers haven’t focused on whether there is a correlation between worrying about aging and the process of aging itself.

“Women in midlife may also be multiple in roles, including caring for their aging parents. As they see older family members grow older and become sick, they may worry about whether the same thing will happen to them".

After analyzing data from 726 women, the researchers while worrying about declining health, had the strongest associations with biological aging,  anxiety about declining attractiveness and fertility were not significantly associated with it. 

They theorized that this may be because research shows that health-related concerns are more common and persist over time, while worries about beauty and reproductive health may fade with age.

“Aging is a universal experience,” said Rodrigues. “We need to start a discourse about how we as a society—through our norms, structural factors, and interpersonal relationships—address the challenges of aging.”

<h2>Warning Signs You May Be Aging Faster</h2><ul><li>Constant fatigue and loss of energy: Everyday tasks feel harder, and the body tires more quickly than before.</li><li><span rel="noindex">Skin</span> and hair changes: Reduced collagen and keratin production leads to sagging, wrinkles, and thinning or loss of hair.</li><li>Cognitive decline: Memory lapses, difficulty in planning, and problems with calculations may point to aging-related changes in the brain as grey matter begins to shrink.</li><li>Chronic conditions: Lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension are often tied to aging, linked to reduced insulin production and thicker, slower blood flow.</li></ul><h2>Can Premature Aging Be Prevented?</h2>While no one can stop the clock, adopting healthy habits can slow it down. Regular physical activity, a diet rich in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables, quality sleep, and timely health screenings can all help delay the impact of aging and keep the body functioning better for longer.

Excessive exposure to the sun speeds up skin aging, a process known as photoaging. This alone causes about 90% of the visible changes we see in skin, such as wrinkles, age spots, and rough texture. UV rays also damage cells, which raises the risk of skin cancer.

Blue light and infrared light: The remaining 10% of skin damage comes from high-energy visible (blue) light and infrared light. Blue light comes from the sun and also from screens, while infrared is the heat we feel. These don’t raise cancer risk but they do weaken collagen and elasticity, making skin sag sooner.

<strong>Other lifestyle factors that speed up aging include:</strong>

<ul><li>Smoking: Nicotine toxins break down collagen and elastin, causing sagging skin, wrinkles, and a hollow look.</li><li>Poor diet: Diets high in sugar and refined carbs may speed up aging, while diets rich in fruits and vegetables help protect the skin.</li><li>Alcohol: Heavy drinking dehydrates and damages skin over time.</li><li>Lack of sleep: Poor or insufficient sleep has been linked to faster cellular aging.</li><li>Chronic stress: High cortisol levels from stress reduce substances like collagen and hyaluronic acid that keep skin smooth and firm.</li></ul>In rare cases, certain medical conditions can also cause early aging, such as progeria, Werner syndrome, Cockayne syndrome, Bloom syndrome, and a few other genetic disorders.

Health Conditions A-Z

health

ageing

skin

mariana rodrigues

nyu school of global public health

aging

anxiety

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People around the world frequently worry about aging, worrying about physical decline, illness, and a loss of independence s they grow older. However, researchers at the NYU School of Global Public Health have found that women who worry over their declining health may actually speed up the aging process due to the related-psychological stress. Mariana Rodrigues, a PhD student at NYU School of Global Public Health and the first author of the study, said: "Our research suggests that subjective experiences may be driving objective measures of aging. Aging-related anxiety is not merely a psychological concern, but may leave a mark on the body with real health consequences.""We know from previous research that anxiety, depression, and mental health in general are associated with a number of physical health outcomes, but until now researchers haven’t focused on whether there is a correlation between worrying about aging and the process of aging itself.“Women in midlife may also be multiple in roles, including caring for their aging parents. As they see older family members grow older and become sick, they may worry about whether the same thing will happen to them".After analyzing data from 726 women, the researchers while worrying about declining health, had the strongest associations with biological aging,  anxiety about declining attractiveness and fertility were not significantly associated with it. They theorized that this may be because research shows that health-related concerns are more common and persist over time, while worries about beauty and reproductive health may fade with age.“Aging is a universal experience,” said Rodrigues. “We need to start a discourse about how we as a society—through our norms, structural factors, and interpersonal relationships—address the challenges of aging.”Warning Signs You May Be Aging FasterConstant fatigue and loss of energy: Everyday tasks feel harder, and the body tires more quickly than before.Skin and hair changes: Reduced collagen and keratin production leads to sagging, wrinkles, and thinning or loss of hair.Cognitive decline: Memory lapses, difficulty in planning, and problems with calculations may point to aging-related changes in the brain as grey matter begins to shrink.Chronic conditions: Lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension are often tied to aging, linked to reduced insulin production and thicker, slower blood flow.Can Premature Aging Be Prevented?While no one can stop the clock, adopting healthy habits can slow it down. Regular physical activity, a diet rich in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables, quality sleep, and timely health screenings can all help delay the impact of aging and keep the body functioning better for longer.Excessive exposure to the sun speeds up skin aging, a process known as photoaging. This alone causes about 90% of the visible changes we see in skin, such as wrinkles, age spots, and rough texture. UV rays also damage cells, which raises the risk of skin cancer.Blue light and infrared light: The remaining 10% of skin damage comes from high-energy visible (blue) light and infrared light. Blue light comes from the sun and also from screens, while infrared is the heat we feel. These don’t raise cancer risk but they do weaken collagen and elasticity, making skin sag sooner.Other lifestyle factors that speed up aging include:Smoking: Nicotine toxins break down collagen and elastin, causing sagging skin, wrinkles, and a hollow look.Poor diet: Diets high in sugar and refined carbs may speed up aging, while diets rich in fruits and vegetables help protect the skin.Alcohol: Heavy drinking dehydrates and damages skin over time.Lack of sleep: Poor or insufficient sleep has been linked to faster cellular aging.Chronic stress: High cortisol levels from stress reduce substances like collagen and hyaluronic acid that keep skin smooth and firm.In rare cases, certain medical conditions can also cause early aging, such as progeria, Werner syndrome, Cockayne syndrome, Bloom syndrome, and a few other genetic disorders.