By Murray Sherriffs
A study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, mapped the social networks of more than 2,000 people.
It questioned people about who were sources of support and stress in their lives.
Participants also submitted saliva samples, so that researchers could track epigenetic markers—key metrics for how quickly a body ages.
It reveals that people who have hasslers in their life, were an average of nine months older than their biological age.
Each additional hassler sped up aging by about 1.5 per cent per year.
Most of the hasslers in the study were family members, but also co-workers and roommates.
Friends are hasslers too but people are more likely to cut ties with a toxic friend, than they are a family member.
