Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40366073›Full record

SynthesisPsychological medicine2025

PTSD and epigenetic aging: a longitudinal meta-analysis.

Xiang Zhao, Seyma Katrinli, Beth M McCormick, Mark W Miller, Nicole R Nugent, Agaz H Wani, Anthony S Zannas, Allison E Aiello, Dewleen G Baker, Marco P Boks and 28 more

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Psychological medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

38 authors.

Xiang ZhaoDepartment of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1720-5996
Seyma KatrinliDepartment of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Beth M McCormickDepartment of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Mark W MillerDepartment of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Nicole R NugentDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Alpert Brown Medical School, Providence, RI, USA.
Agaz H WaniGenomics Program, University of South Florida College of Public Health, Tampa, FL, USA.
Anthony S ZannasCarolina Stress Initiative, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Allison E AielloDepartment of Epidemiology, Robert N Butler Columbia Aging Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
Dewleen G BakerDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Marco P BoksDepartment of Psychiatry, Brain Center University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Chia-Yen ChenTranslational Sciences, Biogen Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA.
Catherine B FortierDepartment of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Joel GelernterPsychiatry Service, VA Connecticut Healthcare Center, West Haven, CT, USA.
Elbert GeuzeNetherlands Ministry of Defence, Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Karestan C KoenenBroad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Sarah D LinnstaedtInstitute for Trauma Recovery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Jurjen J LuykxAmsterdam Neuroscience Research Institute, Mood, Anxiety, Psychosis, Stress & Sleep Program, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Adam X MaihoferDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Samuel A McLeanDepartment of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
William P MilbergDepartment of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Andrew RatanatharathornDepartment of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Kerry J ResslerDepartment of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Victoria B RisbroughDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Bart P F RuttenBroad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Jordan W SmollerBroad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Murray B SteinDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Robert J UrsanoDepartment of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Eric VermettenDepartment of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
Christiaan H VinkersAmsterdam Neuroscience Research Institute, Mood, Anxiety, Psychosis, Stress & Sleep Program, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Erin B WareSurvey Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Derek E WildmanGenomics Program, University of South Florida College of Public Health, Tampa, FL, USA.
Ying ZhaoInstitute for Trauma Recovery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
PGC-PTSD Epigenetics Workgroup
Mark W LogueDepartment of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Caroline M NievergeltDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Alicia K SmithDepartment of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Monica UddinGenomics Program, University of South Florida College of Public Health, Tampa, FL, USA.
Erika J WolfDepartment of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.

Funding

Training Program in Psychiatric Genetics and Translational ResearchT32MH017119 · NIMH · HARVARD UNIVERSITY (SCH OF PUBLIC HLTH) · PI KARESTAN C KOENEN, Jukka-Pekka Onnela · 1985 to 2026
$8.9M
Interplay between biological aging and neuropsychiatric phenotypes after traumaR01AG088241 · NIA · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI Anthony S. Zannas · 2025 to 2026
$1.3M
BLRD VA I21 BX005872BLRD VA IK2 BX006536BLRD VA IK6 BX006186NIA NIH HHS R01 AG088241NIMH NIH HHS T32 MH017119RRD VA I50 RX003001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been associated with advanced epigenetic age cross-sectionally, but the association between these variables over time is unclear. This study conducted meta-analyses to test whether new-onset PTSD diagnosis and changes in PTSD symptom severity over time were associated with changes in two metrics of epigenetic aging over two time points.

methodsWe conducted meta-analyses of the association between change in PTSD diagnosis and symptom severity and change in epigenetic age acceleration/deceleration (age-adjusted DNA methylation age residuals as per the Horvath and GrimAge metrics) using data from 7 military and civilian cohorts participating in the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium PTSD Epigenetics Workgroup (total N = 1,367).

resultsMeta-analysis revealed that the interaction between Time 1 (T1) Horvath age residuals and new-onset PTSD over time was significantly associated with Horvath age residuals at T2 (meta β = 0.16, meta

conclusionsResults indicated that individuals who developed new-onset PTSD or showed increased PTSD symptom severity over time evidenced greater epigenetic age acceleration at follow-up than would be expected based on baseline age acceleration. This suggests that PTSD may accelerate biological aging over time and highlights the need for intervention studies to determine if PTSD treatment has a beneficial effect on the aging methylome.

Indexed as

AgingDNA MethylationEpigenesis, GeneticStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticAdultFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedSeverity of Illness Indexaccelerated agingDNA methylationlongitudinalmeta-analysisPTSD

Identifiers

PMID40366073
PMCPMC12094664

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.