Stress Is a Health Hazard but Friends Can Help

A supportive social circle can counter how stress affects DNA expression

Stress plays a role in which genes get turned on or off—and not in a good way. Fortunately, friends have a counter effect. Karolina Grabowska/Pexels

Stress affects up to 90 percent of people, and we know it harms our mental and physical well-being.

For example, stress can impact the activity and function of our genes. It does this via “epigenetic” changes, which turn on and off certain genes, though it doesn’t change the DNA code.