A recent study from King’s College London found that people with mental health conditions like bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety could be biologically up to two years older than their actual chronological age. The study examined blood samples from over 110,000 individuals in the UK and found specific markers related to aging that were linked to a history of mental illness. The lead author of the study, Dr. Julian Mutz, suggested that these markers could be used to improve health monitoring for people with mental health conditions. Additionally, the study highlights the need to prioritize mental health in healthcare and the wider community. Experts suggest that understanding the mechanisms underlying accelerated biological aging could lead to the development of prevention and tailored treatments for mental illness.
Mental Illness Linked to Accelerated Aging, Study Finds
New research from King’s College London reveals that individuals with mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety may be biologically up to two years older than their actual chronological age. The study, which examined blood samples from over 110,000 individuals in the UK, found specific markers related to aging that were linked to a history of mental illness.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Julian Mutz, a neuroscientist, says the findings may explain why individuals with mental health problems tend to have shorter lifespans and are more prone to age-related diseases compared to the general population. The study found that people with bipolar disorder had blood markers indicating they were around two years older than their actual chronological age. Meanwhile, individuals with depression had bodies around one year older, and those with anxiety had an increase of 0.7 years.
The study analyzed blood samples for 168 markers called metabolites, substances in the body related to metabolism, which are linked to the aging process. Certain metabolites decrease as people get older, leading to changes in the body’s metabolism. The researchers then linked this data to the participants’ mental illness diagnoses.
The research builds upon a 2019 Danish study that found individuals with mental health conditions had shorter life expectancies than those without, losing out on 10 and seven years for men and women, respectively. Additionally, the King’s College London team also discovered in 2022 that people with bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety have an increased risk of frailty, a medical syndrome strongly associated with mortality risk.
Experts suggest that the link between these conditions and death is due to mental illness negatively impacting lifestyle, biological, and psycho-social factors, which accelerate aging. The latest findings raise concerns about the need to prioritize mental health in healthcare and the wider community.
Study Shows Mental Health Conditions Linked to Accelerated Aging
A new study presented at the European Congress of Psychiatry in Paris shows that individuals with mental health conditions may experience accelerated biological aging. The study analyzed blood samples from over 110,000 individuals in the UK and found that specific markers related to aging were linked to a history of mental illness. The lead author of the study, Dr. Julian Mutz, suggested that these markers could be used to improve health monitoring for people with mental health conditions. Additionally, experts suggest that understanding the mechanisms underlying accelerated biological aging could lead to the development of prevention and tailored treatments for mental illness. This study raises concerns about the need to prioritize mental health in healthcare and the wider community.
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