Depressive Symptoms and Salivary Telomere Length in a Probability Sample of Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To examine the association between depressive symptoms and salivary telomere length in a probability sample of middle-aged and older adults, and to evaluate age and sex as potential moderators of this association and test whether this association was incremental to potential confounds.

Methods

Participants were 3,609 individuals from the 2008 wave of the Health and Retirement Study. Telomere length assays were performed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction on DNA extracted from saliva samples. Depressive symptoms were assessed via interview, and health and lifestyle factors, traumatic life events, and neuroticism were assessed via self-report. Regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between predictor variables and salivary t

SUBMITTER: Whisman MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5285466 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb/Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature