Research Shows being Younger than Your Age is Good for Your Health

It is said that being younger than you can improve your well-being and cognitive ability, and can protect you from stress and health problems.

A new study shows that the death rate of the “young” is lower than that of the elderly or elderly. Many older people are younger than their actual age. But can you feel that “youth” has real health benefits? In a new research letter published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, co-authors from University College London, Isla Rippon, and Andrew Steptoe studied the link between self-reported age and mortality.

The 4,444 researchers divided the volunteers into three categories: people who feel they are close to their actual age, people who are one year older than themselves, and those who are three or more years younger than themselves.

Age seems to be a fixed measure, but it can be subjective. For example, you are 40 years old this year, but you feel more like your twenties. This is not a mental illness. More importantly, it may be good news. According to research by the American Psychological Association, people who feel younger than their actual age are healthier. The authors of the study noted that, overall, they felt better, had better cognitive abilities, had less inflammation, and had a lower risk of hospitalization. It can even extend lifespan. All these benefits are related to one factor: stress.

Reduce the impact of stress

The authors of this study analyzed medical records and responses to surveys of more than 5,000 people over the age of 40. The survey asked about stress level, health, daily life, and perceived age. “In general, we can see that health declines with age, but we know that these age-related health trajectories can vary greatly,” says MarkusWettstein, one of the study’s co-authors. Analysis of the data showed that the health of the more stressed people deteriorated faster as they get older. In contrast, the relationship between stress and poor health is weaker among people who feel younger than their age.

How does age affect the risk of heart disease and cancer? 

The author analyzed data from 6,489 volunteers and measured their self-perceived age by asking that How old do they think they are? During an average follow-up of 99 months, the researchers followed all-cause mortality, as well as deaths from heart disease and cancer. 

Compared with those who are three years older than their own age, people who are three years younger or more than three years old are much less likely to die from heart disease. Only 4.5% of participants who felt younger died of heart disease, while only 5.6% of participants who felt similar to their age, and 10.2% of participants who felt older than one year old died of cardiovascular disease. People who feel younger are hardly less likely to die of cancer than those who feel older. 

Against age stereotypes

Researchers believe that this psychological rejuvenation can reduce the negative effects of stress and improve health. They speculate that “activities against age discrimination and age stereotypes” can reduce the impact of stress on the population. Anti-stress interventions are also considered to be effective means to improve the health of the elderly. Stress is sometimes referred to as the “disease of the century”, and it has a major impact on the quality of life and the body and health. It increases the risk of overweight and obesity, heart overload, and is even associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.