Sexual intimacy in couples is associated with longer telomere length.
Author: Cabeza de Baca T1, Epel ES2, Robles TF3, Coccia M2, Gilbert A2, Puterman E4, Prather AA5
Affiliation:
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California St Suite 465, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA. Electronic address: tomas.cabezadebaca@ucsf.edu.
2Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California St Suite 465, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.
3Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles.
4School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
5Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California St Suite 465, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA. Electronic address: aric.prather@ucsf.edu.
Conference/Journal: Psychoneuroendocrinology.
Date published: 2017 Mar 25
Other:
Volume ID: 81 , Pages: 46-51 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.03.022. [Epub ahead of print] , Word Count: 192
High-quality relationships have been shown to be beneficial for physical and mental health. This study examined overall relationship satisfaction and perceived stress as well as daily reports of partner support, partner conflict, and physical intimacy obtained over the course of one week in a sample of 129 high and low stress mothers. Telomere length was examined in whole blood, as well as the two cell subpopulations: peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and granulocytes. Telomerase activity was measured in PBMCs. Analyses revealed no statistically significant associations of telomere length with current relationship satisfaction, daily support or conflict, or perceived stress. In contrast, women who reported any sexual intimacy during the course of the week had significantly longer telomeres measured in whole blood and PBMCs, but not in granulocytes. These relationships held covarying for age, body mass index, perceived stress, the relationship indices, and caregiver status. Sexual intimacy was not significantly related to PBMC telomerase activity. These data provide preliminary data that sexual intimacy is associated with longer telomere length. Future studies investigating these associations are warranted.
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS: Couples; Health; Intimacy; Sexual relationships; Telomere length
PMID: 28411413 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.03.022
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