February 11, 2026
John Junkin/UNSPLASH.COM
Women who worry about their declining health may speed up the biological aging process, new research suggests.
Women who fret about their declining health may be speeding up their aging processes, a new study suggests.
Prior research has demonstrated a link between worrying about health and increased levels of depression and loneliness – and poorer self-reported health – in middle-aged and older adults. The new study, published Monday, went a step further, finding an association between anxieties about declining health and aging on a molecular level.
"Aging-related anxiety is not merely a psychological concern, but may leave a mark on the body with real health consequences," said Mariana Rodrigues, the study's first author.
Rodrigues and the research team from New York University analyzed data from 726 women who were surveyed about their anxieties about aging, including declining attractiveness, health and reproductive status. The researchers also examined blood samples from the women to assess their biological age — the amount of damage that their cells had incurred. This differs from chronological age, which measures age in years.
The researchers found psychological stress about deteriorating physical health and vulnerability to illness may show up on a cellular level, essentially accelerating aging across all body systems.
"Women in midlife may also be in multiple roles, including caring for their aging parents," Rodrigues said. "As they see older family members grow older and become sick, they may worry about whether the same thing will happen to them."
But the findings showed anxiety about fading beauty and losing the ability to have children seemed to have less impact on biological aging.
Overall, the study reinforces the importance of improved understanding of the mind-body connection and how to better support people with anxieties about growing older, the researchers said.
"Aging is a universal experience," Rodrigues said. "We need to start a discourse about how we as a society — through our norms, structural factors, and interpersonal relationships — address the challenges of aging."
