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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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“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
In the citing paper
“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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“One study also measured TL in healthy meditators.(28) Although each of these trials demonstrated promising results, they had small sample sizes (ranging from 37-60 participants) and only postassessment measurements,(25) and the one study that measured TL (as opposed to telomerase)(28) lacked randomization.”
ResultA meta-analytic review of the effects of mindfulness meditation on telomerase activity
Schutte, N. S., & Malouff, J. M. (2014) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.12.017 · Cited by 171
“Another recent non-randomized trial compared individuals with extensive experience in loving-kindness mediation, an outward-focused mindful compassionate practice, to a matched control group and found a trend toward significance in greater telomere length for meditation practitioners compared to the matched control pa…”
BackgroundEffect of meditation on cognitive functions in context of aging and neurodegenerative diseases.
Marciniak, R., Sheardova, K., Čermáková, P., Hudeček, D., Šumec, R., & Hort, J. (2014) · Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00017 · Cited by 142
“…correlation between the maintenance of the length of telomeres and decreased cognitive stress and tension due to meditation (Jacobs et al., 2011; Hoge et al., 2013) Meditation can positively impact dyslipidemia and oxidative stress, which further decreases the risk of vascular diseases of the…”
BackgroundThimmapuram, J., Pargament, R., Sibliss, K., Grim, R. D., Risques, R. A., & Toorens, E. (2017) · Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives · doi:10.1080/20009666.2016.1270806 · Cited by 127
Seppala, E. M., Hutcherson, C. A. C., Nguyen, D. T. H., Doty, J. R., & Gross, J. J. (2014) · Journal of Compassionate Health Care · doi:10.1186/s40639-014-0005-9 · Cited by 127
“outcomes including burnout [38-45], and a recent review”
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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].”
ResultRewak, M., Buka, S. L., Prescott, J., Vivo, I. D., Loucks, E. B., Kawachi, I. I., Non, A. L., & Kubzansky, L. D. (2014) · Biological Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.03.007 · Cited by 96
“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).”
BackgroundLarouche, E., Hudon, C., & Goulet, S. (2015) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2014.05.058 · Cited by 93
Nguyen, K. D. L., Lin, J., Algoe, S. B., Brantley, M. M., Kim, S. L., Brantley, J. G., Salzberg, S., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2019) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.05.020 · Cited by 94
Zen meditation, Length of Telomeres, and the Role of Experiential Avoidance and Compassion
Alda, M., Puebla‐Guedea, M., Rodero, B., Demarzo, M., Montero‐Marín, J., Roca, M., & García‐Campayo, J. (2016) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-016-0500-5 · Cited by 93
“Compassion”
BackgroundResultInfluentialKnee osteoarthritis: Clinical connections to articular cartilage structure and function
Brody, L. T. (2014) · Physical Therapy in Sport · doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2014.12.001 · Cited by 83
Exploring age‐related brain degeneration in meditation practitioners
Luders, E. (2014) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/nyas.12217 · Cited by 79
Intensive meditation training influences emotional responses to suffering
Rosenberg, E. L., Zanesco, A. P., King, B. G., Aichele, S. R., Jacobs, T. L., Bridwell, D. A., MacLean, K. A., Shaver, P. R., Ferrer, E., Sahdra, B. K., et al. (2015) · Emotion · doi:10.1037/emo0000080 · Cited by 70
“…al., 2008), reduces implicit bias against commonly stigmatized groups (Kang, Gray, & Dovidio, 2014), and may be associated with a number of health-relevant physiological indicators, such as immune function (Pace et al., 2009), telomere length (Hoge et al., 2013), and vagal tone (Kok et al., 2013).”
BackgroundMeditation, stress processes, and telomere biology
Conklin, Q. A., Crosswell, A. D., Saron, C. D., & Epel, E. S. (2019) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.11.009 · Cited by 69
“Two crosssectional studies found longer telomeres in experienced meditators compared to meditation-naive controls (n = 20 [7 ]; n = 13 [6], in women only).”
Conklin, Q. A., King, B. G., Zanesco, A. P., Lin, J., Hamidi, A. B., Pokorny, J. J., Álvarez-López, M. J., Cosín-Tomás, M., Huang, C., Kaliman, P., et al. (2018) · Brain, Behavior, and Immunity · doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2018.03.003 · Cited by 66
The Contribution of Food Consumption to Well-Being
Holder, M. D. (2019) · Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism · doi:10.1159/000499147 · Cited by 79
Effects of Long-Term Mindfulness Meditation on Brain's White Matter Microstructure and its Aging
Laneri, D., Schuster, V., Dietsche, B., Jansen, A., Ott, U., & Sommer, J. B. (2016) · Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnagi.2015.00254 · Cited by 72
“…for the insula, (Lazar et al., 2005; Hölzel et al., 2008, 2011; Luders et al., 2012a; Lutz et al., 2013a; Mascaro et al., 2013); for the amygdala (Hölzel et al., 2010; Desbordes et al., 2012; Murakami et al., 2012; Taren et al., 2013); for the hippocampus (Hölzel et al., 2008, 2011; Luders et…”
BackgroundAffiliative and prosocial motives and emotions in mental health
Gilbert, P. (2015) · Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience · doi:10.31887/dcns.2015.17.4/pgilbert · Cited by 64
Meditation and telomere length: a meta-analysis
Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., & Keng, S. (2020) · Psychology and Health · doi:10.1080/08870446.2019.1707827 · Cited by 57
“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
Spiegel, D. (2014) · British Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjhp.12061 · Cited by 53
Wang, X., Sundquist, K., Hedelius, A., Palmér, K., Memon, A. A., & Sundquist, J. (2017) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-017-1308-0 · Cited by 53
“found that individuals with more than 4 years of practice in Loving-Kindness Meditation had longer telomeres [55].”
Rhythmic Chanting and Mystical States across Traditions
Perry, G., Polito, V., & Thompson, W. F. (2021) · Brain Sciences · doi:10.3390/brainsci11010101 · Cited by 63
“For example, in Buddhist traditions, there is a large focus on qualities such as compassion and loving kindness [44].”
BackgroundReligiosity and telomere length: One step forward, one step back
VanderWeele, T. J., & Shields, A. E. (2016) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.06.038 · Cited by 47
Infant HPA axis as a potential mechanism linking maternal mental health and infant telomere length
Nelson, B. W., Allen, N. B., & Laurent, H. K. (2017) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.11.008 · Cited by 42
Cell Survival, Death, and Proliferation in Senescent and Cancer Cells: the Role of (Poly)phenols
Sorrenti, V., Buriani, A., Fortinguerra, S., Davinelli, S., Scapagnini, G., Cassidy, A., & Vivo, I. D. (2023) · Advances in Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2023.05.014 · Cited by 38
“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.”
BackgroundColonnello, V., Petrocchi, N., Farinelli, M., & Ottaviani, C. (2016) · Current Neuropharmacology · doi:10.2174/1570159x14666160816120209 · Cited by 36
“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., & Eileen Luders, A. (2017) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00860 · Cited by 33
“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
Basu, N., Skinner, H. G., Litzelman, K., Vanderboom, R. J., Baichoo, E., & Boardman, L. A. (2013) · Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology · doi:10.1586/17474124.2013.848790 · Cited by 29
Thakur, M. K., Patil, Y., Philip, S. T., Hamdule, T., Thimmapuram, J., Vyas, N., & Thakur, K. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1158760 · Cited by 27
“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 26
Functional genomics in the study of mind-body therapies.
Niles, H. F., Mehta, D. H., Corrigan, A. A., Bhasin, M., & Denninger, J. W. (2014) · PubMed Central · Cited by 23
Ask, T. F., Lugo, R. G., & Sütterlin, S. (2018) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2018.00726 · Cited by 23
“, 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
“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
The effects of meditation on length of telomeres in healthy individuals: a systematic review
Dasanayaka, N. N., Sirisena, N. D., & Samaranayake, N. (2021) · Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1186/s13643-021-01699-1 · Cited by 21
“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
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 24
“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 21
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
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 13
“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 17
“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 16
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 17
Dhawan, V., Malhotra, N., Singh, N., Dadhwal, V., & Dada, R. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-62380-w · Cited by 11
“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 12
Stress Reduction Strategies Used by Midlife Black Women to Target Cardiovascular Risk
Jones, H. J., Norwood, C. R., Bankston, K., & Bakas, T. (2019) · The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing · doi:10.1097/jcn.0000000000000615 · Cited by 11
“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
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
“…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
Tsai, T. C., Lee, G. G., Ting, A., Antoni, M. H., Mendez, A. J., Carver, C. S., & Kim, Y. (2023) · Psychology and Health · doi:10.1080/08870446.2023.2238280 · Cited by 8
“…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
“…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
Sharma, P., Yadav, R. K., Khadgawat, R., & Dada, R. (2022) · Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine · doi:10.1089/jicm.2021.0215 · Cited by 11
“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 12
Huang, X., Lv, J., Zhu, D., Peng, H., & Yu, T. (2025) · Biogerontology · doi:10.1007/s10522-025-10287-y · Cited by 7
“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
“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
Lathan, A., & Dritschel, B. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0287007 · Cited by 6
“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
“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
“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
“…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 5
“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 6
“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
Ariyabuddhiphongs, V. (2016) · Archive for the Psychology of Religion · doi:10.1163/15736121-12341329 · Cited by 6
“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
Sapozhnikov, D. M. (2015) · McGill Science Undergraduate Research Journal · doi:10.26443/msurj.v10i1.123 · Cited by 4
Yoga, Meditation, and Acupuncture for Male Reproductive Health
Dhawan, V., & Dada, R. (2020) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-32300-4_48 · Cited by 4
Well-Being Across the Globe - New Perspectives, Concepts, Correlates and Geography
Mullings, J., Paul, T., Dunn, L. L., Arbor, S., Meeks-Gardner, J., & Arbor, T. (2023) · Sustainable development · doi:10.5772/intechopen.104197 · Cited by 6
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
Kaliman, P., Álvarez‐López, M. J., Lehodey, A., Fernández, D., Chocat, A., Schlosser, M., Sayette, V. D. L., Vivien, D., Marchant, N. L., Chételat, G., et al. (2024) · Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science · doi:10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100398 · Cited by 6
“…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
Newberg, A. B. (2015) · Alternative and Complementary Therapies · doi:10.1089/act.2015.21102 · Cited by 3
Paric, A. (2019) · Carleton University's Institutional Repository (MacOdrum Library, Carleton University) · doi:10.22215/etd/2019-13505 · Cited by 3
Loneliness in COVID-19, Life, and the LawPreprint
Ash, O., & Huang, P. H. (2021) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3793900 · Cited by 3
Telomere length in Thai Buddhist monks and Thai males aged 40 years and above
Winson, P., Leelahagul, P., Taweewongsounton, A., Puenputtho, W., Bovornkitti, S., & Poungvarin, N. (2022) · Malaysian Journal of Nutrition · doi:10.31246/mjn-2022-0021 · Cited by 2
Aghajanyan, V., Bhupati, S., Sheikh, S., & Nausheen, F. (2023) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.46130 · Cited by 2
“…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
Lindqvist, D., Simon, N. M., & Wolkowitz, O. M. (2019) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-813333-0.00019-6 · Cited by 2
Self-citationLovingkindness Meditation in Psychology
Williams-Orlando, C. (2016) · Alternative and Complementary Therapies · doi:10.1089/act.2016.29056.cwo · Cited by 2
Donald, G., Lorimer, K., Lawrence, M., Stringer, J., Wong, R., Winter, A., & Flowers, P. (2020) · European Journal of Integrative Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.eujim.2020.101088 · Cited by 2
Psychological Aspects of Health and Illness in the Elderly
Gidron, Y. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-18893-1_8 · Cited by 1
Starkel, J. L., Stapke, C., Stanley-O’Malley, A., & Noland, D. (2020) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-30730-1_51 · Cited by 1
Improving Mindfulness, Quality of Life, and Controlling Cellular Aging through Meditation
Dasanayaka, N. N., Sirisena, N. D., & Samaranayake, N. (2023) · Sustainable development · doi:10.5772/intechopen.110423 · Cited by 1
Mediterranean diet, inflammation, and telomere length maintenance
Davinelli, S., & Scapagnini, G. (2020) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-818649-7.00032-1 · Cited by 1
Kolling, T., & Knopf, M. (2014) · GeroPsych · doi:10.1024/1662-9647/a000108 · Cited by 2
Lives of the Buddha: Vessantara the Charitable Prince
Harris, J. C. (2013) · JAMA Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.2023
Omelyanenko, V. I. (2014) · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · doi:10.5281/zenodo.10486
Unified Mind/Body for a Healthy Aging Skin
Farage, M. A., Miller, K. W., Tzeghai, G., & Maibach, H. I. (2015) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27814-3_110-1
Shorter telomere length is associated with a more recent diagnosis of coeliac diseasePreprint
Goorkiz, P., Hearn, N. L., van der Kooi, S., Chiu, C. L., & Lind, J. M. (2018) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/331405
Patil, C. (2018) · National Journal of Research in Ayurved Science · doi:10.52482/ayurlog.v6i06.241
Bolognino, S. J. (2018) · Louisiana State University · doi:10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.4621
A Proposal for a System of Classification for Anthroposophic Meditation
Sparby, T. (2019) · Complementary Medicine Research · doi:10.1159/000503893
Santaella, D. F. (2020) · Advances in medical diagnosis, treatment, and care (AMDTC) book series · doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-3254-6.ch004
The Sciencization of Compassion
Stenzel, J. (2020) · Journal of Dharma Studies · doi:10.1007/s42240-020-00084-w
Huang, P. H., & Poore, K. J. (2019) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3456952
Siwik, C. J. (2020) · ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository (University of Louisville) · doi:10.18297/etd/3477
Mind-Body Medicine in Children and Adolescents
McClafferty, H. H. (2017) · MDPI eBooks · doi:10.3390/books978-3-03842-529-8
Metadata
- 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
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › 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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