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Longevity factor klotho and chronic psychological stress.
A A Prather1, E S Epel1, J Arenander1
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Translational Psychiatry
|June 17, 2015
Summary
Chronic psychological stress lowers klotho, a hormone linked to aging and health. This discovery may explain how stress accelerates aging and increases disease risk.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
Background:
- Chronic psychological stress accelerates aging and increases disease risk.
- The biological mechanisms linking stress to negative health outcomes are not fully understood.
- Klotho, a hormone regulating aging, is crucial for brain and body health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between psychosocial stress and klotho levels in humans.
- To determine if chronic stress impacts the longevity hormone klotho.
- To explore klotho as a potential biomarker connecting stress, depression, and accelerated aging.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 178 healthy women: high-stress mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (n=90) and low-stress mothers of typically developing children (n=88).
- Measured serum klotho levels in both groups.
- Assessed depressive symptoms in high-stress caregivers.
Main Results:
- Women under high chronic stress exhibited significantly lower klotho levels compared to low-stress controls (P=0.004).
- The reduction in klotho among high-stress individuals was age-dependent.
- Higher depressive symptoms in high-stress caregivers correlated with even lower klotho levels.
Conclusions:
- Klotho levels are sensitive to psychosocial stressors, indicating a potential biological link.
- Klotho may mediate the accelerated aging effects of chronic stress and depression.
- Targeting klotho could offer a novel therapeutic strategy for mitigating stress-related health issues.
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