Depressionen selbst beschleunigen möglicherweise nicht direkt das biologische Altern. Stattdessen scheint die Körperfettverteilung, insbesondere im Taillenbereich, stärker mit einer schnelleren Zellalterung verbunden zu sein.

Waist-to-hip ratio predicts faster telomere shortening than depression

A new study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders has found that **depression itself may not directly speed up biological aging. Instead, body fat distribution, particularly around the waist, appears more strongly linked to faster cellular aging.**

Over the follow-up period, telomeres shortened gradually in most participants, declining by about 1.3 percent per year on average. Women who reported having depression tended to have slightly shorter telomeres, but this link was weak and not statistically strong. Importantly, depression was not associated with faster telomere shortening over time.

Antidepressant use showed a small association with shorter telomere length. The researchers noted this could be “potentially via biological pathways such as increased cellular turnover or metabolic side effects.” However, there was no clear evidence that it sped up the rate of telomere loss.

Genetic risk for depression also showed no meaningful connection with telomere length or how quickly telomeres shortened.

Instead, the most notable finding involved body fat distribution. Women with a higher waist-to-hip ratio, which is a measure of central body fat, experienced faster telomere shortening over time. This suggests that carrying more fat around the abdomen may play a larger role in cellular aging than depression itself.

For those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032725023079