Stressed and depressed women have lower levels of longevity hormone, according to a research that measured the level of the hormone klotho in the blood.
Klotho is a hormone responsible for regulating an organism's sensitivity to insulin. Associated with aging, the hormone circulates in the blood serum and its levels decline as a person ages. Measuring the subjects' klotho, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Aric Prather conducted an observational study to determine the connection between chronic stress and mortality, as per Science Daily.
Study findings revealed that women who exhibited clinically significant symptoms of depression had lower levels of klotho in their blood than those who do not have the symptoms. Prather said that chronic stress has no direct relationship to the reduction of klotho levels in the blood; however, his research findings have unlocked new topics on research, such as human aging, mental health, and age-related diseases.
An earlier work was conducted by University of California, San Francisco Department of Neurology Assistant Professor Dena Dubal and it determined the relationship of klotho levels in the blood and cognitive function in humans, according to Psych Central.
Dubal's study findings revealed that one out of five people carries a genetic alternate of klotho in the bloodstream. This genetic variant is linked to increased levels of klotho in the blood, which led to a larger portion of the prefrontal cortex and improved cognition. Also, carriers of the variant had decreased incidence of age-related disease and were able to live longer.
Dubal's research findings also revealed that increased klotho in blood levels of mice led to improved cognition and boosted pliability to toxins linked to Alzheimer's disease, which implies that klotho has a beneficial role in the nervous system, particularly the brain.
The investigators believe that if increased levels of klotho can promote physiological and psychological health as a person ages, treatment or lifestyle approaches that boost the hormone can positively affect people's way of life.