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Waist-to-Hip Ratio Linked to Faster Aging, Study Finds

2/14/2026

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Summary

Story summary

A study in the Journal of Affective Disorders finds waist-to-hip ratio linked to faster telomere shortening, while depression does not directly accelerate aging.
Tsz Yan Wong led the study analyzing data from 958 women over six years.
Lifestyle and genetic risk showed no clear relationship with telomere length.
The findings suggest targeting body fat distribution may be more crucial for improving health outcomes than focusing solely on depression.

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Story summary

A study in the Journal of Affective Disorders finds waist-to-hip ratio linked to faster telomere shortening, while depression does not directly accelerate aging.
Tsz Yan Wong led the study analyzing data from 958 women over six years.
Lifestyle and genetic risk showed no clear relationship with telomere length.
The findings suggest targeting body fat distribution may be more crucial for improving health outcomes than focusing solely on depression.