Associations between telomere length and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and appetitive aggression in trauma-exposed men

Womersley, Jacqueline S.; Xulu, Khethelo Richman; Sommer, Jessica; Hinsberger, Martina; Kidd, Martin; Elbert, Thomas; Kaminer, Debra; Malan‐Müller, Stefanie; Seedat, Soraya; Hemmings, Sian

doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136388

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…However, others only found shortened TL in PTSD cases with high index trauma severity ( Kang et al, 2020 ). In contrast mixed results exist with studies reporting no differences in TL in participants with and without PTSD ( Bersani et al, 2016 ; Solomon et al, 2017 ) and others reporting that PTSD is associated with longer TL cross sectionally ( Küffer et al, 2016 ; Womersley et al, 2022 ) and TL lengthening longitudinally ( Boks et al, 2015 ). The interplay between biological systems and sample characteristics may help to understand our results and are discussed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Critically reviewing the meta-analytic evidence also shows that publication bias in this broader literature is likely to occur, with fill and trim analyses reducing already small effect sizes even further ( Li et al, 2017 ; Malouff and Schutte, 2017 ; Pepper et al, 2018 ; Ridout et al, 2017 ). Beyond the impact of CAs on TL, TL is increasingly and extensively studied in the context of psychiatric disorders, however only a few studies to date investigated TL in individuals with PTSD, mostly in veteran samples, with mixed results ( Darrow et al, 2016 ; Epel and Prather, 2018 ; Kang et al, 2020 ; Küffer et al, 2016 ; Li et al, 2017 ; Malouff and Schutte, 2017 ; Womersley et al, 2022 ). Taken together, a growing body of research describes associations of stress, adversity, and trauma measures, as well as mental disorders with TL – however heterogeneity is apparent in this broader literature.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Adverse and traumatic exposures, posttraumatic stress disorder, telomere length, and hair cortisol – Exploring associations in a high-risk sample of young adult residential care leavers

Bürgin

Clemens

Varghese

et al. 2022

Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adverse and traumatic exposures, posttraumatic stress disorder, telomere length, and hair cortisol – Exploring associations in a high-risk sample of young adult residential care leavers

Bürgin

Clemens

Varghese

et al. 2022

Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health

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“…A more recent systematic review included 13 studies of PTSD and telomeres, with six finding a negative association, three (all in military samples) not detecting an association, one finding a positive association, and three finding mixed results [ 210 ]. More recent studies have continued to have inconsistencies or nuance in results, with some observing a negative PTSD-telomere length relation only for older individuals [ 211 ] or for re-experiencing symptoms [ 212 ], and others detecting a positive association between PTSD and telomere length [ 213 , 214 ]. A few studies of telomeres in trauma-exposed individuals have also considered manifestations of posttraumatic psychopathology beyond PTSD, detecting shorter telomeres in former prisoners of war with greater depressive symptoms [ 215 ] and in women with comorbid PTSD and depressive symptoms [ 216 ].…”

Section: Biological Mechanisms Linking Trauma With Cvd Riskmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological and biological mechanisms linking trauma with cardiovascular disease risk

et al. 2023

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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, and experiences of psychological trauma have been associated with subsequent CVD onset. Identifying key pathways connecting trauma with CVD has the potential to inform more targeted screening and intervention efforts to offset elevated cardiovascular risk. In this narrative review, we summarize the evidence for key psychological and biological mechanisms linking experiences of trauma with CVD risk. Additionally, we describe various methodologies for measuring these mechanisms in an effort to inform future research related to potential pathways. With regard to mechanisms involving posttraumatic psychopathology, the vast majority of research on psychological distress after trauma and CVD has focused on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), even though posttraumatic psychopathology can manifest in other ways as well. Substantial evidence suggests that PTSD predicts the onset of a range of cardiovascular outcomes in trauma-exposed men and women, yet more research is needed to better understand posttraumatic psychopathology more comprehensively and how it may relate to CVD. Further, dysregulation of numerous biological systems may occur after trauma and in the presence of posttraumatic psychopathology; these processes of immune system dysregulation and elevated inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, renin-angiotensin system dysregulation, and accelerated biological aging may all contribute to subsequent cardiovascular risk, although more research on these pathways in the context of traumatic stress is needed. Given that many of these mechanisms are closely intertwined, future research using a systems biology approach may prove fruitful for elucidating how processes unfold to contribute to CVD after trauma.

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Association between telomere length and anorexia of ageing: a cross‐sectional study conducted with community‐dwelling older people

Vieira,

Nunes,

Lima

et al. 2024

J Human Nutrition Diet

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BackgroundTo verify whether shorter telomere length is associated with anorexia of ageing in community‐dwelling older people.MethodsConducted as a cross‐sectional investigation, the study enrolled 448 participants residing in an urban area of a municipality in Brazil. Relative telomere length in blood samples was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), whereas the presence of anorexia of ageing was determined using the Simplified Appetite Nutritional Questionnaire. Data analysis employed multiple logistic regression.ResultsAmong the 448 older individuals surveyed, 70.69% were female, and the predominant age bracket ranged from 60 to 69 years (45.08%). Approximately 25% exhibited the shortest telomeric length, with a corresponding anorexia of ageing prevalence of 41.16%. Older individuals with diminished telomere lengths displayed an increased likelihood of experiencing anorexia of ageing (odds ratio [OR] = 1.92; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12–3.29), independent of factors such as gender, age group, depressive symptoms, pain and performance in basic daily life activities.ConclusionsThe observed association between anorexia of ageing and a telomeric biomarker underscores the imperative to meticulously evaluate the nutritional dimensions of older people, with a view to implementing interventions that may enhance their overall health status.

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Associations between telomere length and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and appetitive aggression in trauma-exposed men

Cited by 3 publications

References 35 publications

Adverse and traumatic exposures, posttraumatic stress disorder, telomere length, and hair cortisol – Exploring associations in a high-risk sample of young adult residential care leavers

Adverse and traumatic exposures, posttraumatic stress disorder, telomere length, and hair cortisol – Exploring associations in a high-risk sample of young adult residential care leavers

Psychological and biological mechanisms linking trauma with cardiovascular disease risk

Association between telomere length and anorexia of ageing: a cross‐sectional study conducted with community‐dwelling older people

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