9/11 terrorist attacks and accelerated aging may be linked on a molecular level: study

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 Sept.11, 2001, attacks, according to a university press release.Out 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.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.These 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.The study reinforces the view that PTSD is a “whole-body illness” rather than simply a mental health disorder, he noted.“Traumatic experiences can produce lasting biological changes that persist for decades,” Luft said.“These changes appear to accelerate aspects of biological aging and may increase the risk of many chronic diseases.”Several proteins that are critical for healthy brain function were also altered in those wi...