How to Slow Down Aging and Lead a Better Life: Study Finds Stressful Situations Accelerate Aging but Can Be Reversed in Months

Looking to slow down the aging process and maintain a youthful appearance? Evidence suggests that biological age, as opposed to chronological age, plays a crucial role in how aging affects the body. Stressful situations such as illness, surgery, smoking, and Covid can accelerate the aging process, but new research shows it’s reversible. An international team of scientists used DNA methylation clocks to measure changes in biological age in humans and mice exposed to extreme stress. The study found that the effects of aging can be reversed in a matter of months, even days. By rejuvenating old mice through surgical procedures, such as heterochronous parabiosis, scientists observed how exposure to young blood reversed the rapid aging process. Similarly, in humans, it was observed that recovery and the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as tocilizumab, accelerated the recovery process. Incorporating measures such as exercise, mindfulness techniques, and increased sleep can help slow down the biological clock and prolong life. The future of aging may not be as inevitable as once thought, with new technologies to better understand stress and aging, opening doors to slowing down the biological clock.