98%
921
2 minutes
20
Objective: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been related to accelerated biological aging processes, but objective evidence for this association is limited. DNA methylation (DNAm) age acceleration is a novel measure of biological aging that may help clarify if PTSD is related to biological aging processes. We aim to examine whether PTSD is associated with biological aging using a comprehensive set of DNAm age acceleration markers and to what extent the unshared environment contributes to the association.
Methods: Using a cross-sectional co-twin control study design, we investigated the association of the clinical diagnosis and symptom severity of PTSD with six measurements of DNAm age acceleration based on epigenome-wide data derived from peripheral blood lymphocytes of 296 male twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry.
Results: Twins with current PTSD had significantly advanced DNAm age acceleration compared with twins without PTSD for five of six measures of DNAm age acceleration. Across almost all measures of DNAm age acceleration, twins with current PTSD were "epigenetically older" than their twin brothers without PTSD: estimated differences ranged between 1.6 (95% confidence interval = 0.0-3.1) and 2.7 (95% confidence interval = 0.5-4.8) biological age year-equivalents. A higher Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale score was also associated with a higher within-pair DNAm age acceleration. Results remained consistent after adjustment for behavioral and cardiovascular risk factors.
Conclusions: PTSD is associated with epigenetic age acceleration, primarily through unshared environmental mechanisms as opposed to genetic or familial factors. These results suggest that PTSD is related to systemic processes relevant to biological aging.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8831461 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001028 | DOI Listing |
Clin Epigenetics
September 2025
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Background: Work-related stress is a well-established contributor to mental health decline, particularly in the context of burnout, a state of prolonged exhaustion. Epigenetic clocks, which estimate biological age based on DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns, have been proposed as potential biomarkers of chronic stress and its impact on biological aging and health. However, their role in mediating the relationship between work-related stress, physiological stress markers, and burnout remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Public Health
September 2025
Division of Insurance Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
Background: As populations age, more knowledge is needed on people who extend their working lives. The aim of this study was to explore if prior sickness absence (> 14 days) and/or disability pension (SADP) in mental and/or somatic diagnoses were associated with time until work exit after ages 65-69 and ≥ 70, respectively, among women and men.
Methods: This prospective population-based cohort study included all 65-69-year-olds (cohort65, n = 201,263) and ≥ 70-year-olds (cohort70, n = 93,751) who were in paid work in Sweden in 2014.
Nat Aging
September 2025
Aging Biomarker Consortium (ABC), Beijing, China.
The global surge in the population of people 60 years and older, including that in China, challenges healthcare systems with rising age-related diseases. To address this demographic change, the Aging Biomarker Consortium (ABC) has launched the X-Age Project to develop a comprehensive aging evaluation system tailored to the Chinese population. Our goal is to identify robust biomarkers and construct composite aging clocks that capture biological age, defined as an individual's physiological and molecular state, across diverse Chinese cohorts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGeroscience
September 2025
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
The aging population worldwide faces an increasing burden of age-related conditions, with Alzheimer's disease being a prominent neurodegenerative concern. Drug repurposing, the practice of identifying new therapeutic applications for existing drugs, offers a promising avenue for accelerated intervention. In this study, we utilized the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to screen a library of 1760 FDA-approved compounds, both with and without rapamycin, to assess potential synergistic effects on yeast growth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAerosp Med Hum Perform
September 2025
Introduction: Military fast jet pilots face significant physical challenges, including high Gz accelerations during dynamic maneuvers. The objectives of this study were threefold: 1) to record pilot movements during real flights, 2) to quantify head and trunk movements under standardized Gz conditions and during basic fighter maneuvers (BFMs), and 3) to categorize compensatory strategies used to mitigate physical strain.
Methods: A total of 20 Eurofighter pilots (mean age: 28.