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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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Stress impacts telomere dynamics
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Healthy Lifestyle and Leukocyte Telomere Length in U.S. Women
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Shorter Leukocyte Telomere Length in Midlife Women with Poor Sleep Quality
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Experiences of a mindfulness-based stress-reduction intervention among patients with cancer
Kvillemo, P., & Bränström, R. (2011) · Cancer Nursing · doi:10.1097/ncc.0b013e3181e2d0df · Cited by 77 · cited 1×
“This hypothesis is supported by data from multiple trials that suggest that meditation practice reduces psychological stress (Kvillemo and Branstrom, 2011; Manocha et al., 2011; Smith et al., 2008).”
MethodNo Correlation Between Childhood Maltreatment and Telomere Length
Glass, D., Parts, L., Knowles, D. A., Aviv, A., & Spector, T. D. (2010) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.02.026 · Cited by 76
High phobic anxiety is related to lower leukocyte telomere length in women
Okereke, O. I., Prescott, J., Wong, J. Y. Y., Han, J., Rexrode, K. M., & De Vivo, I. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040516 · Cited by 72
Estimation of Human Age According to Telomere Shortening in Peripheral Blood Leukocytes of Tibetan
Ren, F., Li, C., Xi, H., Wen, Y., & Huang, K. (2009) · American Journal of Forensic Medicine & Pathology · doi:10.1097/paf.0b013e318187df8e · Cited by 57
Older adults with higher income or marriage have longer telomeres
Yen, Y.-C., & Lung, F. (2012) · Age and Ageing · doi:10.1093/ageing/afs122 · Cited by 40
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Black, D. S., & Slavich, G. M. (2016) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/nyas.12998 · Cited by 599
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“…rate variability, immune function, telomere length, genetic expression), better physical functioning, better interpersonal relationships, and decreased morbidity in medical populations (Dunn et al. 2008; Hoge et al. 2013; Ironson 2007; Nelson et al. 2016; Pace et al. 2009; Weinstein and Ryan 2010).”
Lindqvist, D., Epel, E. S., Mellon, S. H., Penninx, B. W., Révész, D., Verhoeven, J. E., Reus, V. I., Lin, J., Mahan, L., Hough, C. M., et al. (2015) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.05.007 · Cited by 285
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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