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The cells of impatient people age much faster
Almost every person dreams of a life as long and carefree as possible. A healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular exercise can help fulfill that desire. Obviously patience is also helpful, as scientists have now found out.
Which extends life
The desire for a long, carefree life unites most people. Besides the genes, it is above all the lifestyle that increases our life expectancy. For example, scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg have calculated in a study that people live up to 17 years longer if they keep their fingers out of cigarettes, do without alcohol and red meat, and avoid overweight or obesity. A positive attitude slows down aging, explained the Jenaer Altersforscher Prof. Christoph Englert in an interview a few years ago. Singaporean scientists have now discovered that patience may seem to help prolong life.
Aging accelerates. Image: JenkoAtaman - fotolia The art of waiting
The hectic world of work and the constant availability via smartphones and Co. have led many people to forget the art of waiting. Some people just can not go fast enough. It is an abomination to have to wait for others or to turn to the cash register. But it is worthwhile to do something about the impatience. As researchers from Singapore found out, the cells of the impatient are aging faster. They reported on their findings in the journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" ("PNAS").
Length of telomeres is crucial
In the study, the Xing Zhang research team from the Singapore-ETH Center analyzed the blood cells of 1,158 students. They determined the length of the telomeres they contain, which are located at the end of the chromosomes and protect the genome during cell divisions. Their length is an indication of the lifespan of the cell. Furthermore, the researchers determined how patient or impatient the subjects were. This was done using the so-called delay-discounting test. The study participants were given the choice either to receive a fixed amount of money immediately or to receive more money at a later date.
Difference between the patient and the impatient
After comparing the data, the scientists were able to determine that the impatient participants actually have shorter telomeres than the relaxed ones. However, it was not clear to them whether short telomeres lead to little patience or whether the stress of impatience shortens telomeres. Further investigations should give information about this connection. An older US study found that telomeres were longer in people who ate a healthy diet and had moderate exercise every day. A healthy lifestyle slows down the aging of the cells. (Ad)