title: A meta-analysis of the relationship between anxiety and telomere length.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, and shorter telomeres are associated with poor physical health. The present study set out to consolidate the varying effect sizes found so far in studies of anxiety and telomere length.
  
  
  METHODS
  A meta-analytic investigation of the relationship between anxiety and telomere length used information from 17 different samples comprising a total of 19,424 participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed a small but significant association, r = -.06, between higher anxiety and shorter telomeres. Studies comparing individuals diagnosed with an anxiety disorder with other individuals had a significant effect size, and studies that did not use this comparison threshold did not have a significant effect size.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anxiety is associated with an important biomarker related to health. Future experimental studies that examine the impact of interventions intended to reduce anxiety in conjunction with measurement of telomere length can further clarify the impact of anxiety on telomere length.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of New England , Armidale , Australia.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Malouff
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of New England , Armidale , Australia.
authors.forename: Nicola S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Schutte
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016615:Telomere; D059506:Telomere Shortening / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Anxiety; anxiety disorders; health; meta-analysis; telomere