Bourassa Kyle J, Martindale Sarah L, Garrett Melanie E, Ashley-Koch Allison E, Beckham Jean C, Kimbrel Nathan A, Rowland Jared A
Author Affiliations: VISN 6 Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness, Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Durham, North Carolina (Dr Bourassa, Dr Martindale, MIRECC Workgroup, Dr Beckham, Dr Kimbrel, and Dr Rowland); Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina (Dr Bourassa); Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia (Dr Bourassa); Salisbury VA Health Care System, Salisbury, North Carolina (Dr Martindale and Dr Rowland); Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (Dr Martindale and Dr Rowland); Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina (Ms Garrett and Dr Ashley-Koch); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina (Dr Beckham and Dr Kimbrel); and Health Services Research and Development ADAPT Center of Innovation, Durham, North Carolina (Dr Kimbrel).
J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2025 Aug 19. doi: 10.1097/HTR.0000000000001096.
Military service over the last several decades has been associated with an increased risk of injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI). Veterans with a history of TBI often experience poor health outcomes and have higher rates of premature mortality. In this study, we examined whether accelerated biological aging could help explain negative health outcomes following TBI.
SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, AND DESIGN: We evaluated the association between TBI and rate of epigenetic aging (assessed using DunedinPACE) using data from post-9/11 veterans (N = 1152) enrolled in the VA Mid-Atlantic (VISN 6) MIRECC Post-Deployment Mental Health cohort study.
TBI was assessed using self-report during a clinical interview categorized into three TBI groups (none, 1, 2 +), epigenetic aging was assessed using DunedinPACE derived from DNA methylation data.
Veterans who reported more lifetime TBI (β = 0.07, 95% CI [0.01, 0.14], P = .029) or deployment-related TBI (β = 0.09, 95% CI [0.01, 0.18], P = .046) had faster epigenetic aging. TBI during and after military service was more strongly associated with accelerated aging than TBI prior to military service, and deployment-related TBI was more strongly associated with accelerated aging for women veterans. Overall, associations were small to moderate in size.
These findings show TBI could increase risk for accelerated aging and underscores its potential utility in identifying veterans who may face aging-related health issues. Early identification of TBI-related accelerated aging could inform interventions that mitigate long-term health risks as post-9/11 veterans transition into middle and older age.
在过去几十年中，兵役与受伤风险增加有关，包括创伤性脑损伤（TBI）。有TBI病史的退伍军人往往健康状况不佳，过早死亡率也较高。在本研究中，我们研究了加速生物衰老是否有助于解释TBI后的负面健康结果。
设置、参与者和设计：我们使用来自参与弗吉尼亚州中大西洋地区（VISN 6）MIRECC部署后心理健康队列研究的9·11后退伍军人（N = 1152）的数据，评估了TBI与表观遗传衰老率（使用达尼丁PACE评估）之间的关联。
在临床访谈中通过自我报告评估TBI，分为三个TBI组（无、1次、2次及以上），使用从DNA甲基化数据得出的达尼丁PACE评估表观遗传衰老。
报告有更多终身TBI（β = 0.07，95%可信区间[0.01，0.14]，P = 0.029）或与部署相关的TBI（β = 0.09，95%可信区间[0.01，0.18]，P = 0.046）的退伍军人表观遗传衰老更快。服役期间和之后的TBI比服役前的TBI与加速衰老的关联更强，与部署相关的TBI对女性退伍军人加速衰老的关联更强。总体而言，关联程度为小到中等。
这些发现表明TBI可能会增加加速衰老的风险，并强调了其在识别可能面临与衰老相关健康问题的退伍军人方面的潜在用途。早期识别与TBI相关的加速衰老可为干预措施提供依据，以减轻9·11后退伍军人步入中老年时的长期健康风险。
