A recent study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital has provided compelling evidence that biological age, an indicator of cellular health, can be reversed when stress is alleviated. Researchers examined various stress-inducing scenarios, including surgery, pregnancy, and recovery from severe COVID-19, observing that biological age increased during these stressful events but returned to normal post-recovery. Using biological clocks that measure DNA methylation, the study found that physiological stress leads to accelerated signs of aging, yet these can be restored when the stressful conditions are resolved. For instance, elderly patients experienced a rise in biological age during emergency surgeries, which returned to baseline levels within a week. The effects of pregnancy showed similar patterns, with biological age peaking around childbirth and normalizing afterward. Notably, women hospitalized with COVID-19 showed partial reversal of biological age by discharge, unlike their male counterparts. This research challenges the long-held belief that biological age is fixed and suggests potential interventions for anti-aging by focusing on recovery from stress, offering new avenues for longevity research. The findings highlight the dynamic nature of biological aging and underscore the significance of recovery in managing health throughout one’s life.
