FIGURE 13.7 Effects of Chronic and Acute Stress on Telomerase Activity Telomerase is an enzyme that protects and lengthens telomeres. In an experiment by Elissa Epel and her colleagues (2010), telomerase activity was lower in women who were under chronic stress (“caregivers”) than it was in a control group of women who were not under stress. In response to an acute stressor in the laboratory, telomerase activity rose sharply in both groups. Even at its peak, however, telomerase activity in the chronic stress group remained significantly below that of the control group.

Data from Epel & others (2010).