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BMC Psychiatry
Published in: BMC Psychiatry 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

Leukocyte telomere length and depression, anxiety and stress and adjustment disorders in primary health care patients

Authors: Xiao Wang, Kristina Sundquist, Anna Hedelius, Karolina Palmér, Ashfaque A. Memon, Jan Sundquist

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

The primary aim was to examine possible differences in telomere length between primary health care patients, with depression, anxiety or stress and adjustment disorders, and healthy controls. The second aim was to examine the association between telomere length and baseline characteristics in the patients. The third aim was to examine the potential effects of the 8-week treatments (mindfulness-based group therapy or treatment as usual, i.e. mostly cognitive-based therapy) on telomere length, and to examine whether there was a difference in the potential effect on telomere length between the two groups.

Methods

A total of 501 individuals including 181 patients (aged 20–64 years), with depression, anxiety and stress and adjustment disorders, and 320 healthy controls (aged 19–70 years) were recruited in the study. Patient data were collected from a randomized controlled trial comparing mindfulness-based group therapy with treatment as usual. We isolated genomic DNA from blood samples, collected at baseline and after the 8-week follow-up. Telomere length was measured by quantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR.

Results

Telomere length was significantly shorter in the patients (mean = 0.77 ± 0.12,), compared to the controls (mean = 0.81 ± 0.14) (p = 0.006). The difference in telomere length remained significant after controlling for age and sex. Old age, male sex and being overweight were associated with shorter telomere length. There was no significant difference in telomere length between baseline and at the 8-week follow-up in any of the treatment groups and no difference between the two groups.

Conclusion

Our findings confirm that telomere length, as compared with healthy controls, is shortened in patients with depression, anxiety and stress and adjustment disorders. In both groups (mindfulness-based group therapy or treatment as usual), the telomere length remained unchanged after the 8-week treatment/follow-up and there was no difference between the two groups.

Trial registration

(ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01476371) Registered November 11, 2011.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Leukocyte telomere length and depression, anxiety and stress and adjustment disorders in primary health care patients
Authors
Xiao Wang
Kristina Sundquist
Anna Hedelius
Karolina Palmér
Ashfaque A. Memon
Jan Sundquist
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-017-1308-0

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