Spending time with a difficult person can impact your mood in the moment. But over time, these challenging social interactions might also have a detrimental effect on your physical health, possibly making you age faster, new research suggests.
The study, which was funded by the National Institute on Aging and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, looked at the health impacts of “hasslers” — people the researchers defined as those “who create problems or make life more difficult.”
While positive relationships have long been linked to healthier, longer lives, hasslers seem to have the opposite effect, increasing chronic stress and elevating epigenetic biomarkers associated with aging. The study also found that some people are more likely to report knowing hasslers, including women and those in poorer health.
We asked experts to explain the phenomenon — and share what you can do to prevent these types of relationships from chipping away at your health.
How social ties affect aging
Having a strong social network is known to offer protective benefits as you age, including lowering risk of cognitive impairment and mortality. Friendships may even help slow aging on a cellular level, some researchhas shown. “But not all social ties are supportive,” said Byungkyu Lee, an assistant professor of sociology at New York University and lead author of the study.
Difficult people in your life might make you age faster, study suggests
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