Is higher education a cure for old age?
Scientists: less educated people age fasterBBC
DNA studies conducted by British scientists have demonstrated that in poorly educated people, cell aging occurs faster than in those who have received higher education.
The link between health and socioeconomic status has been established for a long time. Poorer people on average smoke more, exercise less and go to doctors less often. However, a study conducted by researchers at University College London indicates that the level of education probably affects a person's health more than his standard of living or position in society.
The reasons for this connection are not yet very clear, but scientists suggest that more educated people in general tend to make better decisions about their behavior and lifestyle. It is also possible that educated people experience less stress or cope with it better.
Education is better than a careerThe head of the research team, Professor Andrew Steptoe explained that "the level of education largely determines the social class, and our study indicates that prolonged exposure to human living conditions in the lower strata of society exacerbates the aging process at the cellular level."
The researchers took blood tests from more than 400 people aged 53 to 75 years. Then the measurement of the DNA parts located at the ends of the chromosomes was performed. These parts are called telomeres. The shorter they are, the faster a person ages.
People with a low level of education had shorter telomeres. That is, their aging process proceeded faster. Telomere length was not affected by either social or economic status.
Professor Stephen Holgate, who heads the commission at the British Medical Council, says that the results of this study confirm the conclusions that scientists have come to before. "The decisions you make in the early stages of life can have a significant impact on your health," Stephen Holgate said. "It's very difficult to determine the causal relationship, but this study indicates that education brings more benefits than a good job."
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru12.05.2011