@article{ref1,
title="Telomeres are shorter and associated with number of suicide attempts in affective disorders",
journal="Journal of affective disorders",
year="2021",
author="Birkenæs, Viktoria and Elvsåshagen, Torbjørn and Westlye, Lars T. and Høegh, Margrethe C. and Haram, Marit and Werner, Maren C. F. and Quintana, Daniel S. and Lunding, Synve H. and Martin-Ruiz, Carmen and Agartz, Ingrid and Djurovic, Srdjan and Steen, Nils Eiel and Andreassen, Ole A. and Aas, Monica",
volume="295",
number="",
pages="1032-1039",
abstract="Background Shorter telomere length is a putative biomarker of accelerated aging and has been associated with affective disorders and mortality. Psychological factors and behaviors associated with telomere shortening are yet to be clarified. Here, we investigate the association between history of suicide attempts and telomere length in patients with affective disorders.  Methods Leucocyte telomere length was determined by quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) in patients with affective disorders (n = 248) including bipolar disorders type I (n = 159), type II (n = 67), major depressive disorder (n = 22), and healthy controls (n = 401). Diagnosis, duration of illness, and age at onset were assessed using the Structural Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I). Number of lifetime suicide attempts were based on self-reports. Effect size was calculated using Cohen's d.  Results Telomere length was reduced in patients with affective disorders relative to healthy controls (d = 0.18, F = 5.26, p = 0.02). Among patients, a higher number of suicide attempts was associated with shorter telomere length (β = −0.24, t = −3.83, CI = −0.44 to −0.14, p < 0.001), also when controlling for duration of illness and age at onset (β = −.23, CI = −.42 to −.12, p = 0.001). Multiple suicide attempts were associated with telomere length reduction comparable to eight years lifespan, adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics.  Conclusions While longitudinal data are needed to clarify the temporal course, previous suicide attempts and related distress may accelerate telomere shortening and aging in patients with affective disorders.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0165-0327",
doi="10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.135",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.135"
}