(Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
We’ve all heard of people “aging overnight” after a
traumatic event. Scientists actually have a term for this phenomenon:
Marie Antoinette Syndrome, named for the French queen. When she was
captured after fleeing Paris and sentenced to death by guillotine,
observers claimed her hair turned white from shock.
While accounts of the queen’s hair may be simply legend, scientists
have long suspected that chronic psychological stress—triggered by
events like war, abuse, or imprisonment—may accelerate aging, leading to
early onset of age-related disease or even premature death.
Now, two new studies report significant links between post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans and accelerated aging. Many vets with
PTSD are aging too fast, at a surprisingly young age.
We’re seeing evidence, on multiple levels, of accelerated aging among very young veterans—people in their early 30s.
“We’re seeing evidence, on multiple levels, of accelerated aging
among very young veterans—people in their early 30s,” says lead author
Erika Wolf, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Boston University
School of Medicine and a clinical research psychologist at the US
Department of Veteran Affairs’ National Center for PTSD. “These could
snowball into major health problems down the road.”
“The idea that traumatic events can have a physical effect on people
has been around for a long time,” says senior Mark Miller, associate
professor of psychiatry. “Observations suggest that traumatic stress
starts a cascade of biological consequences that can produce visible
signs of aging. More recent research shows how this is happening on a
cellular level, and for the first time we have the methods to actually
see it in a person’s DNA.”
The first study, published online in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, used new tools for examining DNA for signs of aging and comparing it to a person’s actual age.
The tools, developed in 2013 by scientists at the University of
California, Los Angeles, and the University of California, San Diego,
look at specific areas of a person’s genome and note how they are
methylated—tagged with a tiny molecule of one carbon and three hydrogen
atoms, known as a methyl group. Methylation is one of the primary ways
that the body switches genes on and off, and certain patterns of DNA
methylation correlate to a person’s chronological age.
(Stephen Jaffe/AFP/Getty Images)
For the study, Wolf examined data from 281 veterans, studied at the
VA’s Translational Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS)
database. TRACTS has collected health information—including brain scans,
blood tests, and the results of comprehensive psychological exams—from
450 veterans who have been exposed to trauma. She found small but
significant evidence that veterans with PTSD had accelerated aging of
their DNA.
Other Side of the PTSD Puzzle
“As we age, what we see in the DNA is a lot of
‘flip-flopping’—regions that are methylated become unmethylated, and
vice versa,” says Wolf. This pattern appears across genes involved with
cell death, cardiac function, neurogeneration, and other cellular
processes. “There’s a lot of variability, but it makes sense that they
are involved with aging.”
The second study, published online in the journal Biological Psychiatry,
examined broader, age-related health consequences of PTSD.
Specifically, Wolf looked at metabolic syndrome—a constellation of
symptoms including obesity, high blood pressure, abnormal blood lipids,
and high blood sugar that can contribute to Type 2 diabetes, coronary
artery disease, and even neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Metabolic syndrome is elevated among veterans, says Wolf, with an
estimated 25 percent affected. That number may be as high as 40 percent
among people with PTSD.
The profound biological changes that accompany PTSD affect not just the mind and memory, but the whole body.
Wolf wondered exactly how PTSD correlated to metabolic syndrome, and
whether the two together led to reduced cortical thickness—a shrinking
of specific brain areas responsible for things like emotional regulation
and memory.
Again using data from TRACTS, Wolf examined health information from
346 military veterans who had deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. She found
that PTSD was directly associated with metabolic syndrome, and that
metabolic syndrome was strongly associated with reduced cortical
thickness.
Wolf hopes to continue the research looking at longitudinal data, so
she can see how this accelerated aging proceeds over a decade or more.
She also wants to expand the research to include Vietnam veterans, who
could provide an even longer-term view.
The findings are significant, says Wolf, because they highlight a
problem—metabolic syndrome—that is not usually considered in treating
PTSD and is “ripe for intervention.” Furthermore, says Miller, they
suggest that clinicians may need to expand their repertoire of
treatments for PTSD to target sleep, diet, and exercise.
“A lot of research is looking at the causes and risk factors of
PTSD,” says Miller. “Our research is looking at the other side of the
PTSD puzzle—what are the consequences for the body?”
“Traditionally, treatment for PTSD involves psychotherapy that
focuses on the memory of traumatic events,” adds Miller. “That’s an
undeniably relevant and important part of treatment. But these studies
are suggesting that the clinical picture of PTSD is much bigger than a
problem with somebody’s memory. The profound biological changes that
accompany it affect not just the mind and memory, but the whole body.”
This article was previously published by Boston University. Republished via Futurity.org under Creative Commons License 4.0.
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