PTSD, Faster Aging, and Veteran Health
Official title: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Accelerated Biological Aging, and Veteran Health
Funded at Durham VA Medical Center · NIH-11516399 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study to see whether PTSD makes aging happen faster in veterans and how this could affect their health and care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Durham VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2027 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2CX002694-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11516399 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans with PTSD or related health concerns who are receiving care at participating VA centers.
✕Less likely to help
People without PTSD or not enrolled in VA healthcare may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
This project looks at how PTSD in veterans might accelerate biological aging, using DNA methylation markers to estimate a person’s aging rate from a single sample. It aims to understand how faster aging could lead to more disability, disease, and earlier death, and how recognizing this could change how PTSD is treated. The plan is to translate aging markers into practical tools for clinical settings so doctors can identify veterans at risk and tailor interventions. By linking PTSD to aging speed, the study hopes to uncover new ways to prevent health problems before they arise.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could help clinicians identify veterans at higher risk of aging-related health problems and personalize PTSD treatment to improve long-term health.
How similar studies have gone: Emerging research supports a link between PTSD and accelerated aging, but practical, clinical tools remain under development.
Where this research is happening
-
Durham VA Medical Center
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bourassa, Kyle J. — Durham VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Bourassa, Kyle J.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Does PTSD speed up biological aging in Veterans
This project looks at whether Veterans with PTSD have signs of faster biological aging using blood-based markers so high-risk Veterans can be identified earlier.
-
How PTSD affects aging and health in veterans
This study is looking at how PTSD might make veterans age faster and lead to more health problems, using special tests to understand their biological aging, so we can help those who need it most.
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Transcutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation for PTSD in Veterans
A non-invasive device gently stimulates the vagus nerve to help reduce PTSD symptoms in veterans.
-
Aging Well with HIV: Alcohol, Risk Reduction, and Education Center (AWAR3E)
A center at Yale is exploring how aging with HIV interacts with alcohol use to create inflammation and frailty, with the goal of finding biomarkers and potential treatments.
-
Cognitive SuperAging: Exploring why some octogenarians stay sharp in memory
This NIH grant studies why a small group of people aged 80+ keep memory skills as good as much younger people, hoping to understand how to protect memory as we age.
-
Biological aging across the lifespan through a national high school-to-adult study
This grant uses a long-running national study of students and adults to collect saliva biomarkers of aging, alongside surveys, to understand how aging markers relate to health and life experiences.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.