Finding Clues to Aging in the Fraying Tips of Chromosomes
Elizabeth H. Blackburn studies aging and biochemical changes in cells that are related to the diseases of old age and may have a shot at the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
As we age the telomeres found at the tips of our chromosomes shorten and the enzyme that helps to repair the telomeres, telomerase, diminishes. We know that chronic stress has a detrimental effect on health, and researchers have found that the higher the stress levels in the body, the shorter the telomeres and the less telomerase available for repair. Other research suggests that reducing stress may actually increase levels of telomerase. A study is now being conducted to evaluate the effects of meditation on increasing telemerase levels. This has tremendous implications for the benefits of meditation and other mind/body approaches in reducing stress related diseases and diseases of aging.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/03/science/03conv.html?ex=1341201600&en=9b27725a20b0f884&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
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