Mental illness aging faster, according to a study

The psychological effects of mental illnesses are known and how they impact the daily life of those who suffer them, but a new study indicates that, in addition, they can cause a person to age faster. Said aging would not occur in the future, but along with metal disease, that is, People with these conditions look older than they should be for their age. To reach such conclusions, the researchers resorted to metabolite levels, which change predictably over time.

Content

• Live with a mental illness
• How did the study determine the biological age?
• How to avoid premature aging caused by mental illnesses?
  • Bibliography

Live with a mental illness

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), which is based on the International Classification of Diseases (CIE-10), A mental disorder is characterized by a clinically significant alteration of cognition, The behavior or regulation of emotions.

This manual highlights the difference between metal disorders and the designation "mental health problems", being the latter broader and encompassing mental disorders, psychosocial disabilities and the risk of self -collection behavior. He also explains that Every 1 of 8 people in the world suffer from a mental disorder.

Recently, in a recent investigation, presented at the European Congress of Psychiatry, in Paris, it has been observed that people with a history of mental health conditions, such as anxiety, bipolar or depression disorder, present biomarkers that make them greater than what They really are.

It seems that Premature aging can be the consequence of social isolation, chronic stress and a unhealthy lifestyle, Therefore, the importance of treatment emphasizes and maintaining healthy habits to delay the aging process.

Living with a mental illness can make a person feel exhausted, but more than a feeling, research shows that the body really suffers.

The principal investigator, Julian Mutz, said: “Our findings indicate that The bodies of people with mental health problems tend to be older than one would expect for an individual of their age. For example, people with bipolar disorder had blood markers who indicated that they had about two years more than their chronological age ”.

How did the study determine the biological age?

To obtain the results, Mutz and his colleagues, assigned to the King's College in London, They analyzed the blood metabolites of more than 100,000 residents of the United Kingdom. Metabolites are tiny organic compounds created by the human body, such as cholesterol, glucose and amino acids.

The concentration of any of them in the bloodstream increases over time, while others decrease, so Analyze these biomarkers allowed researchers to use them as a measure of age. People with mental illnesses had a higher profile of their age, according to the researchers.

Previous research has also confirmed that people suffering from mental illnesses are less healthy physically and They tend to suffer heart conditions and diabetes, in addition to having a shorter life expectancy, 7 years less in the case of women and 10 years less for men.

There are several ways in which a person with a mental illness can be affected by this and aging faster. Those who suffer from these conditions have a greater risk of living under poverty, precarious conditions or lack of housing, which reduces life expectancy.

Similarly, stigma towards mental illnesses can lead to the affected person suffering from social isolation or to be a victim of violence, which negatively impacts their general well -being. On the other hand, Mental illness symptoms can interfere with the ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle, Since people who suffer from smoking do not exercise frequently and are less likely to follow a balanced diet.

It is also necessary to explain that Anxiety and depression, For example, They can increase the circulation of stress hormones in the bloodstream, which translates into chronic depression.

How to avoid premature aging caused by mental illnesses?

Some measures that can be taken to delay the appearance of aging are the following:

• Treat mental health, realizing when we need external help, since diagnosis, therapy and medication - in case of being necessary - are important to improve the quality of life.
• Conscious meditation can help to reduce the tension caused by anxiety and depression, as well as to reduce the symptoms of these conditions.
• Take a healthy lifestyle, It is something that is very seen, we do not stop listening or reading on the subject, but it is true, really when we feed in a balanced way, avoiding smoking, doing some physical activity and strengthening positive relationships, we also strengthen our mental health.

Far from being bad news, the authors of the research consider that it offers an opportunity for people who suffer from mental illnesses to improve their health.

Finally, Mutz said: "If we can use these markers to track biological aging, This can change the way we monitor the physical health of people with mental illnesses And we evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving physical health ".

Stress hormone: cortisol

Bibliography

• Andersen pk. Life Years Lost Among Patients With A Given Disease. STAT MED. 2017 SEP 30; 36 (22): 3573-3582. DOI: 10.1002/SIM.7357. EPUB 2017 Jun 5. PMID: 28585255.
• Mutz, j. (2023). Bodies of People With Mental Illness Are Biologically Older Than Their Age. Reports and Proceedings. European Psychiatric Association.