Telomere length and depression: prospective cohort study and Mendelian randomisation study in 67 306 individuals.
Depression has been cross-sectionally associated with short telomeres as a measure of biological age. However, the direction and nature of the association is currently unclear.



We examined whether short telomere length is associated with depression cross-sectionally as well as prospectively and genetically.



Telomere length and three polymorphisms, TERT, TERC and OBFC1, were measured in 67 306 individuals aged 20-100 years from the Danish general population and associated with register-based attendance at hospital for depression and purchase of antidepressant medication.



Attendance at hospital for depression was associated with short telomere length cross-sectionally, but not prospectively. Further, purchase of antidepressant medication was not associated with short telomere length cross-sectionally or prospectively. Mean follow-up was 7.6 years (range 0.0-21.5). The genetic analyses suggested that telomere length was not causally associated with attendance at hospital for depression or with purchase of antidepressant medication.



Short telomeres were not associated with depression in prospective or in causal, genetic analyses.
Marie Kim Wium-Andersen, MD, David Dynnes Ørsted, MD, PhD, Line Rode, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, The Copenhagen General Population Study, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Stig Egil Bojesen, MD, DMSc, Børge Grønne Nordestgaard, MD, DMSc, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, The Copenhagen General Population Study, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, and The Copenhagen City Heart Study, Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Marie Kim
MK
Wium-Andersen
Marie Kim Wium-Andersen, MD, David Dynnes Ørsted, MD, PhD, Line Rode, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, The Copenhagen General Population Study, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Stig Egil Bojesen, MD, DMSc, Børge Grønne Nordestgaard, MD, DMSc, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, The Copenhagen General Population Study, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, and The Copenhagen City Heart Study, Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
David Dynnes
DD
Ørsted
Marie Kim Wium-Andersen, MD, David Dynnes Ørsted, MD, PhD, Line Rode, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, The Copenhagen General Population Study, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Stig Egil Bojesen, MD, DMSc, Børge Grønne Nordestgaard, MD, DMSc, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, The Copenhagen General Population Study, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, and The Copenhagen City Heart Study, Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Line
L
Rode
Marie Kim Wium-Andersen, MD, David Dynnes Ørsted, MD, PhD, Line Rode, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, The Copenhagen General Population Study, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Stig Egil Bojesen, MD, DMSc, Børge Grønne Nordestgaard, MD, DMSc, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, The Copenhagen General Population Study, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, and The Copenhagen City Heart Study, Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Stig Egil
SE
Bojesen
Marie Kim Wium-Andersen, MD, David Dynnes Ørsted, MD, PhD, Line Rode, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, The Copenhagen General Population Study, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Stig Egil Bojesen, MD, DMSc, Børge Grønne Nordestgaard, MD, DMSc, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, The Copenhagen General Population Study, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, and The Copenhagen City Heart Study, Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Frederiksberg, Denmark Boerge.Nordestgaard@regionh.dk.
Børge Grønne
BG
Nordestgaard
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D057182:Mendelian Randomization Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D059506:Telomere Shortening / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult