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Changes in stress, eating, and metabolic factors are related to changes in telomerase activity in a randomized mindfulness intervention pilot study
Open accessAbstract
Background Psychological distress and metabolic dysregulation are associated with markers of accelerated cellular aging, including reduced telomerase activity and shortened telomere length. We examined whether participation in a mindfulness-based intervention, and, secondarily, improvements in psychological distress, eating behavior, and metabolic factors are associated with increases in telomerase activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).Methods We enrolled 47 overweight/obese women in a randomized waitlist-controlled pilot trial (n=47) of a mindfulness-based intervention for stress eating and examined changes in telomerase activity from pre- to post-intervention. In secondary analyses, changes in telomerase activity across the sample were examined in relation to pre- to post-intervention changes in psychological distress, eating behavior, and metabolic factors (weight, serum cortisol, fasting glucose and insulin, and insulin resistance).Results Both groups increased in mean telomerase activity over 4 months in intent-to-treat and treatment efficacy analyses (p<0.001). Nonsignificant trends showed that greater attendance was associated with increases in telomerase, and telomerase increases were 18% higher among 'as treated' participants compared to controls. Across groups, changes in chronic stress, anxiety, dietary restraint, dietary fat intake, cortisol, and glucose were negatively correlated with changes in telomerase activity. In exploratory analyses, decreases in dietary fat intake partially mediated the association between dietary restraint and telomerase activity with marginal significance.Conclusions While there was no clear effect of the intervention on telomerase activity, there was a striking pattern of correlations between improvements in psychological distress, eating behavior, and metabolic health and increases in telomerase activity. These findings suggest that telomerase activity may be in part regulated by levels of both psychological and metabolic stress.
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“Findings on weight loss after mindfulness have been mixed, with some31–37 but not all38,39 studies reporting improvements in weight.”
From A Mindfulness-Based Intervention to Control Weight After Bariatric Surgery: Preliminary Results From a Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial (2016) · cites this paper as [38]
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“A study among overweight/obese women found that anxiety levels decreased in the intervention group but PSS scores and levels of chronic stress did not change after a mindfulness intervention36.”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Daubenmier, J., Lin, J., Blackburn, E., Hecht, F. M., Kristeller, J., Maninger, N., Kuwata, M., Bacchetti, P., Havel, P. J., & Epel, E.
- Affiliations
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- Indiana State University (US)
- University of California, Davis (US)
- Corresponding author
- Daubenmier, Jennifer
- Epel, Elissa
- ORCID
- Venue
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-07
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 917-928
- ISSN
- 0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3384690
- OpenAlex
- W2038793808
- Cited by
- 157
- References
- 58
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 15.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- University of California, San Francisco
- National Center for Research Resources (UL1RR024131)
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (K01AT004199, P01AT005013)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
- Keywords
- telomerase activity, mindfulness-based interventions, stress eating, psychological distress, dietary habits, dietary restraint, dietary fat intake, cortisol, insulin resistance, metabolic dysfunction, cellular aging, overweight and obesity, women, peripheral blood mononuclear cells
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Feeding and Eating Disorders, Eating, Feeding Behavior, Female, Humans, Metabolism, Obesity, Pilot Projects, Stress, Psychological, Waiting Lists, Telomerase, Risk Reduction Behavior, Overweight, Compassionate Use Trials
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