Psychological distress in older adults: associations with epigenetic markers of ageing, inflammation, and depression, and joint effects on mortality

DL Li; X Xu; AM Hodge; MC Southey; GG Giles; RL Milne; PA Dugué

Journal article

Psychological distress in older adults: associations with epigenetic markers of ageing, inflammation, and depression, and joint effects on mortality

DL Li, X Xu, AM Hodge, MC Southey, GG Giles, RL Milne, PA Dugué

Brain, Behavior, and Immunity - Health | Elsevier | Published : 2025

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101090

Abstract

Background: Psychological distress is associated with adverse health outcomes. We aimed to assess whether the health impacts of psychological distress could be captured by epigenetic markers of ageing, inflammation, and depression, and whether these markers and psychological distress have a synergistic association with mortality in older Australians. Methods: Blood DNA methylation data for 1146 participants (31 % females, mean age: 69 years) in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study were used to calculate epigenetic markers of ageing (PCPhenoAge, PCGrimAge, bAge, DunedinPACE) and inflammation (C-reactive protein [mCRP]), and two methylation scores for depression. Psychological distress was..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Allison Hodge Author

Melissa Southey Author

Graham Giles Author

Roger Milne Author

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Keywords

Psychological Distress

3 Good Health and Well Being

3202 Clinical Sciences

Clinical Research

Brain Disorders

32 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences