Association between anxiety but not depressive disorders and leukocyte telomere length after 2 years of follow-up in a population-based sample
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Telomere length is considered an emerging marker of biological aging. Depression and anxiety are associated with excess mortality risk but the mechanisms remain obscure. Telomere length might be involved because it is associated with psychological distress and mortality. The aim of this study was to test whether anxiety and depressive disorders predict telomere length over time in a large population-based sample. Method All analyses were performed in a longitudinal study in a general population cohort of 974 participants. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to measure the presence of anxiety and depressive disorders. Telomere length was measured using monochrome multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) at approximately 2 years of follow-up. We used linear multivariable regression models to evaluate the association between anxiety and depressive disorders and telomere length, adjusting for adverse life events, lifestyle factors, educational level and antidepressant use. RESULTS: The presence of anxiety disorders predicted shorter telomeres at follow-up (β = -0.073, t = -2.302, p = 0.022). This association was similar after controlling for adverse life events, lifestyle factors, educational level and antidepressant use (β = -0.077, t = -2.144, p = 0.032). No association was found between depressive disorders and shorter telomeres at follow-up (β = 0.010, t = 0.315, p = 0.753). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that anxiety disorders predicted shorter telomere length at follow-up in a general population cohort. The association was not explained by adverse life events, lifestyle factors, educational level and antidepressant use. How anxiety disorders might lead to accelerated telomere shortening and whether this might be a mediator explaining the excess mortality risk associated with anxiety deserve further investigation.
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Hoen et al. (2013) found that baseline anxiety disorders in a population-based sample, but not depressive disorders, predicted LTL two years later.
“In another report, Hoen et al. (2013), found that baseline anxiety disorders in a population-based sample, but not depressive disorders, predicted LTL two years later.”
From Psychiatric disorders and leukocyte telomere length: Underlying mechanisms linking mental illness with cellular aging (2015) · cites this paper as Hoen et al. (2013)
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- Authors
- Hoen, P. W., Rosmalen, J. G. M., Schoevers, R. A., Huzen, J., van der Harst, P., & de Jonge, P.
- Affiliations
- University Medical Center Groningen (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Hoen, P. W.
- Venue
- Psychological Medicine
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2012-08-09
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 689-697
- ISSN
- 0033-2917 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8978
- OpenAlex
- W2137448406
- Cited by
- 88
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 5.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- research.rug.nl
- Licence
- Locations
- Psychological Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (916.76.170)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, leukocyte telomere length, telomere shortening, biological aging, psychological distress, excess mortality, life events, lifestyle factors, antidepressant use, general population cohort
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Alcohol Drinking, Antidepressive Agents, Anxiety Disorders, Depressive Disorder, Educational Status, Female, Humans, Interview, Psychological, Leukocytes, Life Change Events, Male, Middle Aged, Smoking, Stress, Psychological, Time Factors, Cohort Studies, Biomarkers, Health Behavior, Linear Models, Telomere, Telomere Shortening, Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction
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