Researchers from the University of Virginia determined through a 17-year study that aggressive behavior and harsh relationships during adolescence can accelerate biological aging later in life. The results of the study were published in the "Journal of Health Psychology".
Psychologists observed the relationships of 123 adolescents with their friends and parents starting from 1998, while also studying biomarkers such as cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose, and inflammation indicators. According to experts, these indicators are important for predicting human health and lifespan.
It was found that adolescents who were aggressive or hostile towards their friends at age 13, and also had conflictual relationships with their fathers, showed signs of accelerated biological aging by the age of 30. The researchers particularly emphasized that conflicts with fathers in late adolescence and aggression towards friends around the age of 20 had the strongest impact.
The study noted that this effect was observed to the same degree in both men and women. According to specialists, a person's relationship behaviors during childhood and adolescence can predict not only the risk of cardiovascular diseases but also the overall aging process in the body.
