A study of World Trade Center responders found that PTSD is associated with molecular changes linked to accelerated biological aging and a higher risk of chronic disease.The study, led by Stony Brook University in New York, could offer new clues to the long-term physical health effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.The researchers tested blood samples from 393 WTC responders, collected approximately 18 years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, according to a university press release.THE 'AGE' OF YOUR BLOOD COULD PREDICT DEMENTIA RISK, NEW STUDY SUGGESTSOut of the sampled responders, 232 were diagnosed with PTSD and 161 were not.Between the two groups, 114 proteins and seven metabolites were significantly different.Firefighter Gerard McGibbon, of Engine 283 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, prays after the World Trade Center buildings collapsed on September 11, 2001.
(Mario Tama/Getty Images)In particular, the researchers detected changes in blood markers linked to brain function, immune activity, energy metabolism, protection against cell damage and how cells communicate and repair tissues.Also reported were signs of accelerated biological aging in multiple organs — including the heart, kidneys, liver and lungs — among responders with PTSD.COMMON VITAMIN MAY INFLUENCE BRAIN AGING IN WAYS SCIENTISTS DIDN'T EXPECTThese discoveries could help explain why people with long-term PTSD are at greater risk for chronic conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, cognitive decline and other age-related illnesses."This study found that chronic PTSD is associated with long-lasting biological changes throughout the body, affecting multiple organs and biological systems decades after their traumatic exposure," lead study author Benjamin Luft, director and principal investigator at the Stony Brook WTC Wellness Program, told Fox News Digital."Traumatic experiences can produce lasting biological changes that persist for decades."The study reinforces the view that PTSD is a "wh...