How Stress Causes the Immune System to Age Faster

Persistent stress leads to accelerated cellular ageing, particularly through shortening of telomeres – the protective caps at the end of our chromosomes, which shorten with each cell division. Critical telomere shortening is associated with the onset of numerous diseases, including coronary heart disease, diabetes, mental disorders, and autoimmune diseases.

The phenomenon of inflammation plays a particularly important role here: Inflammation: a persistent, low-grade inflammatory state caused by chronic stress. This condition leads to what is known as immunosenescence, the gradual loss of the immune system's ability to adapt and the increase in senescent cells that release inflammatory messengers. Factors such as oxidative stress and stress hormones influence telomere length and thus contribute to accelerated aging of the immune system.

The hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) exhibits anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. Regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle help stimulate the body's production of DHEA and thus mitigate the negative effects of chronic stress. DHEA could therefore be considered a resilience factor that plays a key role in the prevention of stress-related diseases.

This hormone is particularly important for women, as it also correlates with telomere length in immune cells and thus influences cellular ageing.

Chronic stress is, from an evolutionary perspective, a relatively new challenge for the human organism, and our original adaptation mechanisms often cannot keep pace with modern lifestyles.

These findings are of great importance to both professionals and interested laypeople in counteracting the harmful effects of stress at an early stage and improving their quality of life.

Micronutrients offer protection against cellular ageing. Antioxidants such as vitamins C, E, selenium, and coenzyme Q10 are crucial for reducing oxidative stress, which accelerates telomere shortening. DHEA also has anti-inflammatory effects and can be positively influenced through targeted diet and lifestyle interventions, which is particularly important for maintaining telomere length in immune cells.

Taken from: Magazine of the International Lake Constance Congress for Regulatory and Modern Orthomolecular Medicine 2024, SFGU- yearly report pp. 29-34