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Bourassa KJ, Sbarra DA. Trauma, adversity, and biological aging: behavioral mechanisms relevant to treatment and theory. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:285. [PMID: 38997260 PMCID: PMC11245531 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-03004-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Although stress and adversity are largely universal experiences, people exposed to greater hardship are at increased risk for negative health consequences. Recent studies identify accelerated biological aging as a mechanism that could explain how trauma and adversity gives rise to poor health, and advances in this area of study coincide with technological innovations in the measurement of biological aging, particularly epigenetic profiles consistent with accelerated aging derived from DNA methylation. In this review, we provide an overview of the current literature examining how adversity might accelerate biological aging, with a specific focus on social and health behaviors. The most extensive evidence in this area suggests that health-compromising behaviors, particularly smoking, may partially explain the association between adversity and accelerated aging. Although there is relatively less published support for the role of social behaviors, emerging evidence points to the importance of social connection as a mechanism for future study. Our review highlights the need to determine the extent to which the associations from adversity to accelerated aging are consistent with causal processes. As we consider these questions, the review emphasizes methodological approaches from the causal inference literature that can help deepen our understanding of how stress and trauma might result in poor health. The use of these methodologies will help provide evidence as to which behavioral interventions might slow aging and improve health, particularly among populations that more often experience adversity and trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J Bourassa
- VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA.
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham Veteran Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA.
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - David A Sbarra
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Christian LM, Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Cole SW, Burd CE, Madison AA, Wilson SJ, Rosko AE. Psychoneuroimmunology in multiple myeloma and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant: Opportunities for research among patients and caregivers. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 119:507-519. [PMID: 38643954 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable cancer and is the leading indication for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). To be eligible for HSCT, a patient must have a caregiver, as caregivers play a central role in HSCT preparation and recovery. MM patients remain on treatment indefinitely, and thus patients and their caregivers face long-term challenges including the intensity of HSCT and perpetual therapy after transplant. Importantly, both patients and their caregivers show heightened depressive and anxiety symptoms, with dyadic correspondence evidenced and caregivers' distress often exceeding that of patients. An extensive psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) literature links distress with health via immune and neuroendocrine dysregulation as well as biological aging. However, data on PNI in the context of multiple myeloma - in patients or caregivers - are remarkably limited. Distress in MM patients has been associated with poorer outcomes including higher inflammation, greater one year post-HSCT hospital readmissions, and worse overall survival. Further, anxiety and depression are linked to biological aging and may contribute to the poor long-term health of both patients and caregivers. Because MM generally affects older adults, individual differences in biological aging may represent an important modifier of MM biology and HSCT treatment outcomes. There are a number of clinical scenarios in which biologically younger people could be prescribed more intensive therapies, with potential for greater benefit, by using a personalized cancer therapy approach based on the quantification of physiologic reserve. Further, despite considerable psychological demands, the effects of distress on health among MM caregivers is largely unexamined. Within this context, the current critical review highlights gaps in knowledge at the intersection of HSCT, inflammation, and biological aging in the context of MM. Research in this area hold promise for opportunities for novel and impactful psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) research to enhance health outcomes, quality of life, and longevity among both MM patients and their caregivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Christian
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210 USA; The Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Janice K Kiecolt-Glaser
- The Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Steve W Cole
- Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Christin E Burd
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Annelise A Madison
- The Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Veteran's Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02130, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Stephanie J Wilson
- Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75206, USA
| | - Ashley E Rosko
- Division of Hematology, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Félix J, Martínez de Toda I, Díaz-Del Cerro E, González-Sánchez M, De la Fuente M. Frailty and biological age. Which best describes our aging and longevity? Mol Aspects Med 2024; 98:101291. [PMID: 38954948 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2024.101291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Frailty and Biological Age are two closely related concepts; however, frailty is a multisystem geriatric syndrome that applies to elderly subjects, whereas biological age is a gerontologic way to describe the rate of aging of each individual, which can be used from the beginning of the aging process, in adulthood. If frailty reaches less consensus on the definition, it is a term much more widely used than this of biological age, which shows a clearer definition but is scarcely employed in social and medical fields. In this review, we suggest that this Biological Age is the best to describe how we are aging and determine our longevity, and several examples support our proposal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Félix
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Irene Martínez de Toda
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Estefanía Díaz-Del Cerro
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Mónica González-Sánchez
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Genetics), Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Mónica De la Fuente
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain.
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Wilson SJ, Marini CM. Older Adults' Social Profiles and Links to Functional and Biological Aging in the United States and Mexico. Psychosom Med 2024; 86:387-397. [PMID: 37678359 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Social stress-loneliness, isolation, and low relationship quality-increase risks of aging-related diseases. However, the ways in which they intersect to undermine healthy aging remain poorly understood. We used latent class analysis to identify groups of older adults based on their social stress in both the United States and Mexico. Thereafter, we examined their cross-sectional associations with markers of functional and biological aging. METHOD Participants in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; N = 8316) and Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS; N = 15,001) reported their loneliness, isolation (i.e., living alone), and relationship quality with spouse, children, and friends. Outcomes included C-reactive protein, functional limitations, self-rated health, comorbidities, gait speed, and grip strength. Models controlled for demographics, health behaviors, and body mass index. RESULTS In both countries, five classes emerged, a supported group and four with elevated social stress: a) strained, b) isolated, c) spousal ambivalence, and d) unhappily married. Compared with the others, strained participants in both samples had greater functional limitations, poorer self-rated health, and more comorbidities, as well as slower gait in HRS and weaker grip in MHAS. Generally, supported participants fared better than the other groups. In HRS, C-reactive protein levels differed between the strained group and others, but these associations were explained by health behaviors and body mass index. CONCLUSIONS Older adults in both countries with strained relationships fared worst in their aging-related outcomes, revealing new insights about the links between toxic social stress and unhealthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie J Wilson
- From the Department of Psychology (Wilson), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas; and Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology (Marini), Adelphi University, Garden City, New York
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Freilich CD. How does loneliness "get under the skin" to become biologically embedded? BIODEMOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL BIOLOGY 2023; 68:115-148. [PMID: 37800557 PMCID: PMC10843517 DOI: 10.1080/19485565.2023.2260742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Loneliness is linked to declining physical health across cardiovascular, inflammatory, metabolic, and cognitive domains. As a result, loneliness is increasingly being recognized as a public health threat, though the mechanisms that have been studied do not yet explain all loneliness-related health risk. Potential mechanisms include loneliness having 1.) direct, causal impacts on health, possibly maintained by epigenetic modification, 2.) indirect effects mediated through health-limiting behaviors, and 3.) artifactual associations perhaps related to genetic overlap and reverse causation. In this scoping review, we examine the evidence surrounding each of these pathways, with a particular emphasis on emerging research on epigenetic effects, in order to evaluate how loneliness becomes biologically embedded. We conclude that there are significant gaps in our knowledge of how psychosocial stress may lead to physiological changes, so more work is needed to understand if, how, and when loneliness has a direct influence on health. Hypothalamic-pituitary adrenocortical axis disruptions that lead to changes in gene expression through methylation and the activity of transcription factor proteins are one promising area of research but are confounded by a number of unmeasured factors. Therefore, wok is needed using causally informative designs, such as twin and family studies and intensively longitudinal diary studies.
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Gaylord A, Cohen A, Kupsco A. Biomarkers of aging through the life course: A Recent Literature Update. CURRENT OPINION IN EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 2:7-17. [PMID: 38130910 PMCID: PMC10732539 DOI: 10.1097/pxh.0000000000000018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Purpose of review The development of biomarkers of aging has greatly advanced epidemiological studies of aging processes. However, much debate remains on the timing of aging onset and the causal relevance of these biomarkers. In this review, we discuss the most recent biomarkers of aging that have been applied across the life course. Recent findings The most recently developed aging biomarkers that have been applied across the life course can be designated into three categories: epigenetic clocks, epigenetic markers of chronic inflammation, and mitochondrial DNA copy number. While these have been applied at different life stages, the development, validation, and application of these markers has been largely centered on populations of older adults. Few studies have examined trajectories of aging biomarkers across the life course. As the wealth of molecular and biochemical data increases, emerging biomarkers may be able to capture complex and system-specific aging processes. Recently developed biomarkers include novel epigenetic clocks; clocks based on ribosomal DNA, transcriptomic profiles, proteomics, metabolomics, and inflammatory markers; clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential gene mutations; and multi-omics approaches. Summary Attention should be placed on aging at early and middle life stages to better understand trajectories of aging biomarkers across the life course. Additionally, novel biomarkers will provide greater insight into aging processes. The specific mechanisms of aging reflected by these biomarkers should be considered when interpreting results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Gaylord
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Alan Cohen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- PRIMUS Research Group, Department of Family Medicine, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Research Center on Aging and Research Center of Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Butler Columbia Aging Center, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Allison Kupsco
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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