Post-traumatic stress disorder is mainly considered a psychological disorder, but new research suggests that PTSD may have some biological risks as well, including accelerated aging.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine had already been looking at other serious mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and noted that these disorders potentially accelerated the aging process. The team decided to also look at whether there was a similar association for PTSD and conducted a comprehensive review of published empirical studies relevant to early aging in PTSD, going back to 2000. Their study was published in the May 7 online issue of American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

The researchers collected evidence from 64 relevant studies that looked at biomarkers, such as leukocyte telomere length (LTL), earlier occurrence of medical conditions associated with advanced age, and premature death. Several studies found reduced telomere length — telomeres get shorter when cells replicate, an indication of the aging process in cells — as well as increased pro-inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor alpha, in people with PTSD. There was also an overlap between PTSD and other conditions associated with aging, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal ulcer disease, and dementia. Several studies showed a mild to moderate association of PTSD with early death.
Dr. Dilip Jeste, director of the Center on Healthy Aging and Senior Care at UC San Diego, and the study’s senior author, said the research could serve to change care for people with PTSD.

“It shows that the PTSD is not just a mental illness, it’s also a biological disorder that affects the entire body, not just the brain,” Jeste told DOTmed News. “It means that you should take care of your body also. That is true for everybody, but that is even more true for people with PTSD.”

Aging experts say the information could help people with PTSD to take steps to reduce stress and mitigate the biological effects of the disorder.

“The paper is helpful for people with PTSD to learn more about what chronic stress can do to their bodies by causing stress-related disorders of aging and premature aging and death,” Helen Lavretsky, a geriatric psychologist at UCLA and the author of the book “Resilience and Aging,” told DOTmed News. “That may motivate them to seek help and learn more about resilience and what can lead to improved resilience.”

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