Feeling unhappy and lonely will age you more than smoking

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Our mental well-being may have a greater influence than some physical factors when it comes to how long we live.

When thinking about what it takes to live a long and healthy life, most of us immediately think of how to keep your body in good working order. For example, this will include a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, and abstaining from alcohol and smoking. New research has shown that we also need to consider our mental and social status for longevity.

“Psychological factors such as feelings of unhappiness or loneliness can age a person by 1.65 years. It may also increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases, according to the findings. The cumulative effect exceeds the effects of biological sex, residential area, marital status, and smoking status. Scientists have concluded that the psychological component should not be ignored in aging research due to its significant impact on biological age,” says the neurologist.

The results showed that people with a history of stroke, liver and lung diseases, smokers, as well as people with a vulnerable mental state, age at a faster rate.

“Loneliness, restless sleep, or feelings of unhappiness are important when it comes to the rate of aging.”

Observed contribution of mental state a person's biological age is significant and can be compared with the impact of smoking.