Scientists discover possible link between 9/11 and accelerated aging - Fox News

Adam Klotz reports live from the Tunnel to Towers 10th Annual Tower Climb at One World Trade Center, honoring 9/11 first responders and victims in New York City.

A study of World Trade Center responders found that PTSD is associated with molecular changes linked to accelerated biological aging and a higher risk of chronic disease.

The study, led by Stony Brook University in New York, could offer new clues to the long-term physical health effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The researchers tested blood samples from 393 WTC responders, collected approximately 18 years after the September 11, 2001, attacks, according to a university press release.

THE 'AGE' OF YOUR BLOOD COULD PREDICT DEMENTIA RISK, NEW STUDY SUGGESTS

Out of the sampled responders, 232 were diagnosed with PTSD and 161 were not. Between the two groups, 114 proteins and seven metabolites were significantly different.

Firefighter Gerard McGibbon, of Engine 283 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, prays after the World Trade Center buildings collapsed on September 11, 2001. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

In particular, the researchers detected changes in blood markers linked to brain function, immune activity, energy metabolism, protection against cell damage and how cells communicate and repair tissues.

Also reported were signs of accelerated biological aging in multiple organs — including the heart, kidneys, liver and lungs — among responders with PTSD.

COMMON VITAMIN MAY INFLUENCE BRAIN AGING IN WAYS SCIENTISTS DIDN'T EXPECT

These discoveries could help explain why people with long-term PTSD are at greater risk for chronic conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, cognitive decline and other age-related illnesses.

"This study found that chronic PTSD is associated with long-lasting biological changes throughout the body, affecting multiple organs and biological systems decades after their traumatic exposure," lead study author Benjamin Luft, director and principal investigator at the Stony Brook WTC Wellness Program, told Fox News Digital.

"Traumatic experiences can produce lasting biological changes that persist for decades."

The study reinforces the view that PTSD is a "whole-body illness" rather than simply a mental health disorder, he noted.

"Traumatic experiences can produce lasting biological changes that persist for decades," Luft said. "These changes appear to accelerate aspects of biological aging and may increase the risk of many chronic diseases."

FOX NEWS' ERIC SHAWN REVEALS CANCER AND RESPIRATORY ILLNESS FROM 9/11 TOXIC DUST

Several proteins that are critical for healthy brain function were also altered in those with PTSD, the researchers found.

"Many of these proteins play critical roles in helping brain cells communicate with one another, repair damage and maintain healthy connections that support memory and thinking," Luft said.

A New York firefighter is pictured amid the rubble of the World Trade Center following the 9/11 attacks in 2001. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The study – which was funded in part by the CDC, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and the National Institutes of Health – was published in Nature Communications.

Luft said the findings should be viewed with "cautious optimism."

"The research provides compelling evidence that PTSD is associated with long-lasting biological changes throughout the body, including signs of accelerated aging, altered metabolism and changes in proteins involved in brain health," he said.

"These findings strengthen the growing recognition that PTSD is not simply a mental health disorder, but a condition that can have lasting effects on physical health as well."

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, was not involved in the study but called the results "fascinating."

"This speaks to the complex reality that PTSD is not an isolated psychiatric event due to emotional trauma alone, but that it is also tied in with physical trauma," he told Fox News Digital. "The stress is both emotional and physical, and leads directly to immune dysregulation and aging processes."

"These findings strengthen the growing recognition that PTSD is not simply a mental health disorder, but a condition that can have lasting effects on physical health as well," the researcher said. (iStock)