Thread

1. dyauspitr · 1790966547 · focus · HN ↗

   So chronic stress is one of the main contributors to aging. I hope I make it to my 40s.

   Do we currently have the ability to do targeted methylation or de methylation at sites in cells?

   1. everdrive · 1790972335 · focus · HN ↗

      I just don't understand. Wouldn't we have evolved in an environment with constant stress? Constant fear of disease, starvation, predation, attacks by neighboring tribes? Why would our body's natural response to our environment be to immediately grenade itself.

      1. teraflop · 1790972654 · focus · HN ↗

         I'm no biologist, but it's pretty easy to imagine a plausible mechanism.

         Stress doesn't cause your body to "immediately grenade itself", it causes gradual problems over an extended period. But you can imagine that evolutionarily speaking, a stressful situation would frequently be a situation involving imminent danger. A response that prioritizes short-term survival (e.g. releasing adrenaline and cortisol) regardless of the long-term consequences could easily improve evolutionary fitness.

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