Do you have someone in your life who is close to you but also causes unease? About half of all relationships have positive qualities with less helpful interactions, what researcher Bert Uchino calls “mixed relationships.” Unfortunately, having more of these mixed-quality relationships is related to shorter telomeres.37 (Women with mixed friendships have telomeres that are shorter; both women and men have shorter telomeres when the mixed relationship is with a parent.) That makes sense. These mixed relationships are characterized by friends who don’t always know how to offer support. It’s
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