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Surrounding yourself with difficult people could shorten your lifespan, according to new research.
A study published in the journal PNAS found that negative social ties contribute to a faster aging pace and an older biological age.
The researchers, from various U.S.-based universities, studied how “hasslers,” or people who often cause problems or social difficulties, impacted aging and mortality, according to a study press release.
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Biological aging refers to the pace of aging on a cellular level, which is often different from chronological age.
Based on a sample of more than 2,000 Indiana participants 18 years and older, nearly 30% of individuals reported having a “hassler” in their network.
The study suggests that negative relationships can act like chronic stressors that wear the body down over time. (iStock)
People who were more likely to report hasslers included women, daily smokers, people in worse health and those with adverse childhood experiences.
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Using biological clocks that measure age-related changes to DNA, the researchers found that the presence of hasslers was linked to accelerated aging, higher inflammation, more chronic conditions and worse mental health.
For each additional hassler, there was about a 1.5% increased pace of aging and about a nine-month older biological age.
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Not all hasslers “exert the same influence,” as blood relatives and non-blood relatives both showed “detrimental” associations, but spouse hasslers do not, the researchers stated.
Blood-related hasslers are hard to avoid, making them “stronger chronic stressors,” according to the study. Spouse hasslers may not have shown a significant association because these ties mix negative and positive exchanges.
Kin and non-kin relationships were more “detrimental” to health than spouse relationships, the study found. (iStock)
“These findings together highlight the critical role of negative social ties in biological aging as chronic stressors, and the need for interventions that reduce harmful social exposures to promote healthier aging trajectories,” the researchers wrote in the study abstract.
“We are surrounded by those who make our lives difficult and cause problems,” study co-author Byungkyu Lee of NYU’s Department of Sociology told Fox News Digital.
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“We found that they are not just stressful; they are associated with measurable acceleration in biological aging at the molecular level, along with higher inflammation, depression, anxiety and chronic disease burden.”
“Our results suggest that the overall balance of one’s social network matters.”
Reducing exposure to people who consistently create stress or conflict “may benefit health,” the study suggests, although this is not always realistic, Lee noted.
“Many of these relationships involve family members or others who are deeply embedded in daily life, so the challenge is often not simply avoiding them, but finding healthier ways to manage them,” he said. “More broadly, our results suggest that the overall balance of one’s social network matters.”
“Many of these relationships involve family members or others who are deeply embedded in daily life, so the challenge is often not simply avoiding them, but finding healthier ways to manage them,” said the researcher. (iStock)
Community-based programs that expand social circles through shared hobbies, volunteering or mutual aid may be beneficial, the researchers suggested.
“Broadening and diversifying one’s network may be one way to offset some of the biological toll associated with chronic relationship stress,” Lee added.
Study limitations
The authors noted that these findings only show an association, but do not prove that toxic relationships have a negative impact on aging. Other traits or environments were not considered when measuring morbidity.
Because the data came from one Midwestern sample, it may not apply to other cultural or socioeconomic populations.
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The study used data collected at one point in time, which means it cannot show whether hasslers came before the aging changes or if the faster aging influenced social perceptions.
The hassler relationships were also self-reported and subject to participants’ moods and experiences — which could introduce some bias.