Final answer:
The correct answer is option c) Chronic stress affects our health by shortening the telomere length, which results in acceleration of aging and increased risk of different diseases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct statement about the effects of stress on health and aging is that chronic stress affects our health by shortening the telomere length, which results in an acceleration of aging and an increased risk of different diseases.
The rationale behind this is that while short-term stress can enhance innate immune responses and be adaptive, chronic stress may inhibit immune responses and is clearly associated with increases in some diseases, such as those observed in individuals experiencing long-term stressors like the loss of a spouse or caring for a person with a terminal illness.
The science of psychoneuroimmunology is actively exploring how the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems evolve together and communicate, illustrating the detrimental effects of chronic stress on human health.