title: Paternal age and mortality in nonaffective psychosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Advanced paternal age (APA) is associated with an increased mortality in the general population, and is a risk factor for schizophrenia. We aimed to test if APA is associated with increased mortality in people with nonaffective psychosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects with nonaffective psychosis who were born in Helsinki, Finland, between 1951 and 1960 (n=529) were followed until June 2006 (age 46 to 55). Hazard ratios were calculated, adjusting for subject age, age of the other parent, and gender.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In females but not males, there was a significant increase in all-causes mortality (HR=7.04, 95% CI 1.60-31.04, p=0.01) and natural deaths (HR=7.64, 95% CI 1.20-48.66, p=0.03) in offspring of fathers age > or =40, after adjustment for potential confounders. In males but not females, there was a significant decrease in suicides (HR=0.89, 95% CI 0.81-0.97, p=0.01) with increasing maternal age (as a continuous variable). In the entire sample, there was also a trend for decreased all-cause mortality (HR=0.96, 95% CI 0.92-1.01, p=0.08) with increasing maternal age (as a continuous variable).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both paternal and maternal age may affect mortality risk in offspring with psychosis. The specific disorders and pathway(s) associated with the increase in natural cause mortality remain to be determined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia 30912, United States.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pihlajamaa
authors.forename: Jari
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haukka
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cannon
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henriksson
authors.forename: Hannele
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heilä
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huttunen
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanskanen
authors.forename: Jouko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lönnqvist
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suvisaari
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kirkpatrick
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010331:Paternal Age; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors