GWAS of biological aging to find longevity genes in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe psychotic disorder associated with premature mortality and aging. Moreover, the symptoms and progression of psychiatric disorders in general are associated with decreased lifespan, biological aging, and poorer medical outcomes. In this study, we investigated the relationship between several epigenetic clocks and scanned the entire genome for association in a cohort of SCZ individuals (n = 107). Biological age was computed from blood DNA methylation (DNAm) and tested for association against common variants across the genome using general linear models. Genes affecting epigenetic age acceleration in our cohort were found mainly when using the telomeric length clock rather than the other biological clocks. These findings pair with existing evidence that there are some genes associated with longevity and suggest further investigations of putative biological mechanisms for morbidity and premature mortality, not only in patients with SCZ but also in the general population.

Automated summary

This study investigated the epigenetic clocks in schizophrenia patients and their relationship with genes associated with longevity. The findings showed that the telomeric length clock was more indicative of epigenetic age acceleration in schizophrenia patients compared to other biological clocks. These findings suggest the need for further research on the biological mechanisms related to aging and premature mortality in both patients and the general population.