Depression is associated with early mortality and with an increased risk of developing
physical diseases that are more typically seen in the elderly. Moreover, depression may be
associated with aspects of accelerated cellular aging, evidenced by shortened leukocyte
telomere length (LTL), which could underlie this association. Shortened LTL reflects a cell's
mitotic history and cumulative exposure to inflammation and oxidation as well as the
availability of telomerase, a telomere-lengthening enzyme. Critically short telomeres can …