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Long-term unemployment may accelerate ageing in men

Males who are unemployed for more than two years show faster signs of aging in their DNA.

The research was conducted by looking at the length of telomeres. A telomere is a structure in DNA, which is a marker for biological aging and become shorter over a person’s lifetime. The study found that men who have been unemployed for more than two years are more than twice as likely to have shorter telomeres compared to those who have been continuously employed.

This study focused on men because they are more likely to be unemployed for long periods during their 30s. The researchers suggest further studies need to be completed to determine if unemployment is more harmful to men or women.

Read more at Imperial College London and the University of Oulu

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