Loving-kindness meditation practice associated with longer telomeres in women
Abstract
Relatively short telomere length may serve as a marker of accelerated aging, and shorter telomeres have been linked to chronic stress. Specific lifestyle behaviors that can mitigate the effects of stress might be associated with longer telomere lengths. Previous research suggests a link between behaviors that focus on the well-being of others, such as volunteering and caregiving, and overall health and longevity. We examined relative telomere length in a group of individuals experienced in Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM), a practice derived from the Buddhist tradition which utilizes a focus on unselfish kindness and warmth towards all people, and control participants who had done no meditation. Blood was collected by venipuncture, and Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes. Quantitative real time PCR was used to measure relative telomere length (RTL) (Cawthon, 2002) in fifteen LKM practitioners and 22 control participants. There were no significant differences in age, gender, race, education, or exposure to trauma, but the control group had a higher mean body mass index (BMI) and lower rates of past depression. The LKM practitioners had longer RTL than controls at the trend level (p=.083); among women, the LKM practitioners had significantly longer RTL than controls, (p=.007), which remained significant even after controlling for BMI and past depression. Although limited by small sample size, these results offer the intriguing possibility that LKM practice, especially in women, might alter RTL, a biomarker associated with longevity.
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Engaging in prosocial behavior is associated with greater happiness, psychological well-being, indices of physiological health, better physical functioning, better interpersonal relationships, and decreased morbidity in medical populations.
“Indeed, a large body of research demonstrates that engaging in pro-social behavior is associated with greater happiness and psychological well-being, indices of physiological health (e.g., increased heart rate variability, immune function, telomere length, genetic expression), better physical functioning, better interpersonal relationships, and decreased morbidity in medical populations (Dunn, Akn”
From A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Effects of Meditation on Empathy, Compassion, and Prosocial Behaviors (2018) · cites this paper as Hoge et al., 2013
Findings that certain positive lifestyle changes are correlated with lowered degrees of cell aging (as indexed by LTL and/or PBMC basal TA) provide some encouragement, although many of the studies were small-scale, open-label or inadequately controlled.
“In an otherwise concerning picture, findings that certain positive lifestyle changes are correlated with lowered degrees of cell aging (as indexed by LTL and/or PBMC basal TA) (Epel, 2009; Epel, 2012; Hoge et al., 2013; Puterman et al., 2010; Puterman et al., 2015) provide some encouragement, although many of the studies were small-scale, open-label or inadequately controlled.”
From Psychiatric disorders and leukocyte telomere length: Underlying mechanisms linking mental illness with cellular aging (2015) · cites this paper as Hoge et al., 2013
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“Although this study was limited by its small sample size, these results are exciting as they suggest that meditation—in particular, LKM practice—might increase RTL, a biomarker associated with aging and longevity [83].”
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“Moreover, many highly informative and well-regarded studies of LTL have been conducted with small samples ranging from 15 to 43 in each study group (Epel et al., 2004; GarciaRizo et al., 2012; Hoge et al., 2013; O'Donovan et al., 2011; Tyrka et al., 2010).”
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BackgroundAffiliative and prosocial motives and emotions in mental health
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“The quasi-experimental studies consisted of several types, such as the crosssectional studies by Hoge et al. (2013) and Alda et al. (2016) and the controlled quasi-experimental study by Conklin et al. (2018).”
MethodResultMinding the body: Psychotherapy and cancer survival
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“People who follow a healthy lifestyle by adhering to the Mediterranean diet [50], increasing their physical activity [51], and practicing meditation [52] have been shown to have longer telomeres than those who do not.”
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“A study of intensive daily meditation practice showed higher telomerase activity in individuals who participated in an intensive three-month full-time mediation retreat, compared to a wait-list control group [197].”
Kurth, F., Cherbuin, N., & Luders, E. (2017) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00860 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
“Interestingly, recent studies have indicated that meditation may increase telomerase activity (Jacobs et al., 2011; Lavretsky et al., 2013; Schutte and Malouff, 2014) and telomere length (Hoge et al., 2013; Alda et al., 2016).”
BackgroundTelomeres and telomere dynamics: relevance to cancers of the GI tract
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“Similarly, Loving-Kindness meditation practice; another type of meditation showed longer relative telomere length than the control (Hoge et al., 2013).”
BackgroundDementia Prevention in Clinical Practice
Niotis, K., Akiyoshi, K., Carlton, C., & Isaacson, R. (2022) · Seminars in Neurology · doi:10.1055/s-0042-1759580 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Functional genomics in the study of mind-body therapies.
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“, 2016) seem to have an effect on telomere integrity (Jacobs et al., 2011; Bhasin et al., 2013; Hoge et al., 2013; Conklin et al., 2015; Alda et al., 2016; Epel et al., 2016; Thimmapuram et al., 2017; Tolahunase et al., 2017), which could perhaps be attributed to reduced inflammatory cytokine production due to increas…”
BackgroundImplication of asana, pranayama and meditation on telomere stability
Abraham, J., & Rathore, M. (2018) · International Journal of Yoga · doi:10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_51_17 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“Hoge et al.[29] examined the relative telomere length in a group of individuals experienced in loving‐kindness meditation (LKM), a practice derived from the Buddhist tradition which utilizes a focus on unselfish kindness and warmth toward all people and control participants who had done no meditation.”
BackgroundMindfulness as a self-care strategy for healthcare professionals to reduce stress and implicit bias
Murphy, J., Farrell, K. M., Kealy, M. B., & Kristiniak, S. (2023) · Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice · doi:10.1016/j.xjep.2022.100598 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
The effects of meditation on length of telomeres in healthy individuals: a systematic review
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“CCS included participants with long-term meditation experience ranging from 4 [17] to 10 years [16, 18] with a mean of at least 60 min of practice per day [16, 18].”
BackgroundResultInfluentialGermann, C. B. (2019) · Medical Hypotheses · doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109406 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Meditation can produce beneficial effects to prevent cardiovascular disease
Koike, M. K., & Cardoso, R. A. D. (2014) · Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation · doi:10.1515/hmbci-2013-0056 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“Recently, Loving Kindness Meditation was associated to longer WBC telomere length in women [54].”
BackgroundDasanayaka, N. N., Sirisena, N. D., & Samaranayake, N. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.846085 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Bossert, L., Arzberger, K., Dorok, F., Kern, J., Stickler, C., Wunderlich, M., & Tran, U. S. (2023) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-023-02075-x · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Saif, N., Hristov, H., Akiyoshi, K., Niotis, K., Ariza, I. E., Malviya, N., Lee, P., Melendez, J., Sadek, G., Hackett, K., et al. (2022) · The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer s Disease · doi:10.14283/jpad.2022.44 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“Stress and anxiety may pose higher risk in females (99-101); Females may be more vulnerable to depression risk in the Perimenopausal period (102, 103) As above; may also benefit more from vacation and meditation (96, 104)”
BackgroundMeditation and Immune Function: The Impact of Stress Management on the Immune System
Thibodeaux, N., & Rossano, M. J. (2018) · OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine · doi:10.21926/obm.icm.1804032 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“Additionally, meditation may be associated with longer telomeres [35, 77-82] and increased telomerase activity [81-85].”
BackgroundSun, S., Sheridan, M. A., Tyrka, A. R., Donofry, S. D., Erickson, K. I., & Loucks, E. B. (2022) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104526 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Positive Youth Development and Prosocial Behavior: A Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta‐Analysis
Meulenbeek, K., Loheide‐Niesmann, L., Spagnuolo, F., & Cima, M. (2025) · Journal of Adolescence · doi:10.1002/jad.70040 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
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“Telomeres are one of the important markers of cellular and testicular aging, which are affected by adoption of yoga 17,32,33 .”
BackgroundAtypical Anxiety-Related Amygdala Reactivity and Functional Connectivity in Sant Mat Meditation
Chen, C., Chen, Y., Chen, K.-L., & Cheng, Y. (2018) · Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00298 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Stress Reduction Strategies Used by Midlife Black Women to Target Cardiovascular Risk
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“Selfless kindness toward others has been associated with decreased stress and longevity among women, providing additional support for the development of culturally adapted stress reduction interventions that mirror the values exhibited by this vulnerable group of women.(46)”
BackgroundLifestyle Choices, Psychological Stress and Their Impact on Ageing: The Role of Telomeres
Davinelli, S., & Vivo, I. D. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-20762-5_8 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Understanding Kindness in the Russian Context
Leybina, A. V., & Kashapov, M. M. (2022) · Psychology in Russia State of Art · doi:10.11621/pir.2022.0105 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“…of kindness on longevity is widely established (Brown et al., 2009; Nelson-Coffey et al., 2017), as regular acts of kindness decrease stress (Raposa et al., 2016), pain (Emmons, 2007), and the speed of the aging processes (Hoge et al., 2013; Kok et al., 2013) for the person who performs them.”
BackgroundOtálora, R. E. E., Villamizar, J. A. F., Esteban-Pérez, C. I., Forero‐Castro, M., & Marín-Suarez, J. (2020) · Nutrition and Healthy Aging · doi:10.3233/nha-200096 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Tsai, T. C., Lee, G. G., Ting, A., Antoni, M., Mendez, A., Carver, C., & Kim, Y. (2023) · Psychology and Health · doi:10.1080/08870446.2023.2238280 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“…interventions to improve the quality of life of persons with cancer, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (Losada et al., 2015), meaning-centered therapy (Lichtenthal et al., 2020), leisure-time physical activity (Shadyab et al., 2017), and Loving-Kindness meditation (Hoge et al., 2013).”
López, J. B., Puente, J. C. T., & Sanz, B. M. U. (2024) · International Studies in Catholic Education · doi:10.1080/19422539.2024.2387690 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“…group of individuals who were practising Loving-Kind-ness Meditation (LKM), a particular kind of practice that focuses on unselfish kind-ness and warmth towards people, finding out that LKM women practitioners had significantly longer telomeres than those who weren’t meditators (Hoge et al. 2013).”
What telomeres say about activity and health: A rapid review
To‐Miles, F., & Backman, C. L. (2016) · Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy · doi:10.1177/0008417415627345 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Sharma, P., Yadav, R. K., Khadgawat, R., & Dada, R. (2022) · Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine · doi:10.1089/jicm.2021.0215 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“56 On the contrary, a recent meta-analysis showed that adherence to the Mediterranean diet led to a longer TL. 57 A similar result was noted in an RCT where the Mediterranean diet protected the TL integrity in children with abdominal obesity following a 12-month lifestyle intervention.”
InfluentialPositive Psychology and Buddhism
Segall, S. Z., & Kristeller, J. L. (2022) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-10274-5_14 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
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“Notably, one study focused on individuals with over 4 years of daily LKM practice compared to wait-list controls, evaluating the impact of an intensive overnight meditation retreat on TL (Hoge et al. 2013).”
Keng, S., Yim, O. S., Lai, P. S., Chew, S. H., & Ebstein, R. P. (2019) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-019-0323-y · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“In a second small-scale investigation, also involving a predominantly Caucasian sample, practitioners of loving-kindness meditation, a form of practice that aims to cultivate self-compassion (in addition to compassion towards all living beings), have longer LTL compared to controls [27].”
BackgroundAddressing Nursing Students' Anxiety During Simulation Sessions: A Pilot Intervention Study
Wang, Y., & Sartain, A. F. (2024) · Journal of Nursing Education · doi:10.3928/01484834-20240501-03 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
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“Importantly, LKM practitioners have been shown to have longer relative telomere length than non-meditators at trend level and significantly longer relative telomere length in comparison to controls among women [49].”
BackgroundAssociations of meditation with telomere dynamics: a case–control study in healthy adults
Dasanayaka, N. N., Sirisena, N. D., & Samaranayake, N. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1222863 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“A previous study on the association of loving-kindness meditation with telomeres has shown that the association between meditation and the relative TL is stronger in women than men (Hoge et al., 2013).”
BackgroundMethodSymptom Science: Omics and Response to Non-Pharmacological Interventions
Wagner, M. A., Wesmiller, S. W., Maydick, M., Gawron, L. M., Peterson-Burch, F., & Conley, Y. P. (2020) · Biological Research For Nursing · doi:10.1177/1099800420975205 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“Telomere length was measured in five studies (Conklin et al., 2018; Gautam et al., 2019; Hoge et al., 2013; M. Tolahunase et al., 2017; M. R. Tolahunase et al., 2018).”
BackgroundMethodAbsent Relations of Religious Coping to Telomere Length in African American and White Women and Men
Ashe, J. J., Evans, M. K., Zonderman, A. B., & Waldstein, S. R. (2023) · Experimental Aging Research · doi:10.1080/0361073x.2023.2219187 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“…spirituality and meditation (e.g., practicing yoga or Qigong) are linked to longer telomeres and increased telomerase activity (Ho et al., 2012; Hoge et al., 2013; Jacobs et al., 2011; Lavretsky et al., 2013), we still expected to observe, at minimum, main effects of religious coping to TL in…”
BackgroundFeng, Q., Huang, Z., Wang, Y., & Wang, B. (2024) · International Journal of Mental Health Promotion · doi:10.32604/ijmhp.2024.049010 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“Some researchers believe that mindfulness interventions can affect telomere length [61], and shorter telomere length is associated with conditions such as psychiatric disorders, experience of stress, and poor immune functioning [58,60].”
Schwartz, K., Ganster, F. M., Voracek, M., & Tran, U. S. (2025) · Psychosomatic Medicine · doi:10.1097/psy.0000000000001381 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“Evidence from several studies 112,113 (see also Bossert et al 110 ) suggests that it is reasonable to assume that extensive meditation experience is also con fl ated with other factors, such as a better diet or lower levels of stress.”
Buddhist Generosity: Its Conceptual Model and Empirical Tests
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“Loving kindness practice, especially in women, might alter relative telomere length, a biomarker associated with longevity (Hoge et al., 2013).”
BackgroundPromise of Mindfulness-Based Interventions as Therapies to Prevent Cognitive Decline
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Yoga, Meditation, and Acupuncture for Male Reproductive Health
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The effects of meditation on length of telomeres in healthy individuals: A systematic reviewPreprint
Dasanayaka, N. N., Sirisena, N. D., & Samaranayake, N. (2020) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-79491/v1 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
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“…between meditation practice and telomere biology in young and middle-age adults, and there is empirical evidence suggesting that meditation practice, by improving the stress response, may help stabilize or lengthen telomeres and modulate the expression of telomere-related genes (23 – 26).”
The Neurotheology Link: An Intersection Between Spirituality and Health
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“…observed increased telomerase activity in individuals practicing yoga and meditation, suggesting a mechanism for preserving TL. Additionally, Hoge [11] demonstrated that mindfulness meditation, often integrated into yoga, was associated with reduced telomere attrition, indicating a potential…”
BackgroundIs Depression Associated With Accelerated Aging? Mechanisms and Implications
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- Authors
- Hoge, E. A., Chen, M. M., Orr, E., Metcalf, C. A., Fischer, L. E., Pollack, M. H., DeVivo, I., & Simon, N. M.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Rush University Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hoge, Elizabeth A.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-08
- Volume
- 32
- Pages
- 159-163
- ISSN
- 0889-1591 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2052944489
- Cited by
- 116
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 5
- FWCI
- 12.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Brain Behavior and Immunity (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health Award (8UL1TR000170-05)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Keywords
- loving-kindness meditation, telomere length, relative telomere length, accelerated aging, women, Buddhist meditation, longevity, aging biomarkers, stress, body mass index, depression
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Data Interpretation, Statistical, DNA, Female, Humans, Leukocytes, Love, Male, Middle Aged, Body Mass Index, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Telomere, Meditation
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