IF YOU are suffering from chronic emotional stress then it is likely that it would have debilitating effect on the immune system, according to scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles.

A new research finding on the mind-body connection by the researchers at the university tells that chronic emotional stress ages the immune system. Stress harmones called Cortisol suppress the immune cells’ ability to activate their telomerase enzymes, which keep the cells young and in prime condition by enabling their ability to divide.

Telomere, which according to scientists is akin to a clock; shortens each time the cell divides. These short Telomeres in turn is linked to a range of human diseases, including HIV, osteoporosis, heart disease and aging.

The prevailing scientific view is that telomerase keeps the immune cells young by preserving their telomere length. However, the present study suggests that the cortisol in people suffering from stress affect the telomerase and it is not able to keep the cells young by preserving the telomere length.

Perhaps, this is the reason that people suffering from chronic stress have shorter telomeres.

The study also leads to the reasons why stressed people are more susceptible to diseases. It also identifies a potential drug target for preventing damage to the immune system of people under stress.

Cortisol is produced in the body when it is under stress, if the hormone remains at high levels in the bloodstream for increased periods, it wears down the immune system, the study said.