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Telomere length

What is telomere length in PTSD?

Telomeres are protective caps on the ends of chromosomes. They are linked to aging as they shorten with each cell division, and when they reach a critical length, the cell stops dividing or dies. Chronic stress has been associated with reduced telomere length, resulting in the recognition of an association between adverse social and environmental influences and accelerated aging. Telomere length has been found to be shorter in people with schizophrenia, but not in people with bipolar disorder. It has recently been investigated in people with PTSD.

What is the evidence for telomere length in people with PTSD?

Moderate to high quality evidence found a small effect of shorter telomere length in people with PTSD compared to controls.

August 2021

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Last updated at: 2:18 am, 11th October 2021
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Fact Sheet Technical Commentary

NeuRA Libraries

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