Today, we will be looking at mental health and whether anxiety does, in fact, accelerate the ageing process.
This is another unique finding by the team at Muhdo Health and a world first. We have combined DNA methylation data with the COMT rs4680 genotype, which is associated with neurotransmitters such as dopamine and noradrenaline.
Does anxiety cause you to age faster? And does having a certain genotype accelerate this process even further?
Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding yes.
We didn’t just analyse DNA methylation; we also looked at numerous genotypes associated with neurotransmitters. While many showed little correlation to ageing, one stood out: rs4680 (COMT).
This gene is linked to dopamine levels, with AA homozygotes (often called "Worriers") being linked to higher dopamine levels and more significant emotional "highs and lows".
No Reported Anxiety
Those with the AA genotype who did not report anxiety showed a non-significant change in biological age (0.4 years).
Remarkably, those with the AG/GG genotypes who did not report anxiety showed a deceleration in biological age of -2.2 years.
What does this mean? It appears that anxiety causes a direct acceleration in biological ageing. Because the genes analysed for biological age affect cancer, dementia, and inflammation, it is clear that anxiety has a foundational physical effect on the body. If left untreated, this may lead to serious physical pathology.
Essentially, having certain genotypes may hasten the physical impact of anxiety, while others may offer a protective shield against its effects.
The information above is just a snippet taken from the vast amount of genomic, epigenomic, and lifestyle data gathered during Muhdo Health's research over the last nine years.
What do your Muhdo DNA Stress results say?
