Biological aging mediates the association between cancer and depression risk: findings from NHANES.

Fengmei Song, Chuqing Hu, Meina Deng, Fei Yang, Yan Liu

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Article in Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

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5 authors.

Fengmei SongDepartment of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, University of South China, No. 28, Hongxiang Street, Hengyang, Hunan Province, 421001, China.

Chuqing HuDepartment of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, University of South China, No. 28, Hongxiang Street, Hengyang, Hunan Province, 421001, China.

Meina DengDepartment of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, University of South China, No. 28, Hongxiang Street, Hengyang, Hunan Province, 421001, China.

Fei YangDepartment of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, University of South China, No. 28, Hongxiang Street, Hengyang, Hunan Province, 421001, China. phfyang@usc.edu.cn.

Yan LiuDepartment of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, University of South China, No. 28, Hongxiang Street, Hengyang, Hunan Province, 421001, China. 2015002062@usc.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study aimed to investigate the association between cancer history and depression risk, and to evaluate the potential mediating role of biological aging.

methodsData were collected from the 2005-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Cancer status was assessed via questionnaire, while depression was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Biological aging was defined by calculating phenotypic age acceleration (PhenoAgeAccel). Logistic regression methods were applied to explore associations between cancer, depression, and biological aging. In addition, subgroup analysis was conducted on the association between cancer and depression. Mediation analysis was employed to explore possible mechanisms underlying these relationships.

resultsThis study included 12,999 participants aged ≥ 20 years, of which 1317 (10.13%) participants reported a history of cancer. After adjusting for confounders, logistic regression analyses revealed a significant association between cancer history and increased risk of depression (OR = 1.76, 95% CI 1.30-2.38). Subgroup analysis further demonstrated that this association was stronger among aged < 60 years and inactivity participants (p for interaction < 0.05). Additionally, higher level of PhenoAgeAccel was positively associated with depression risk, with participants in the highest quartile (Q4) having 84% higher odds of depression compared to those in the lowest quartile (Q1) (OR = 1.84, 95% CI 1.47-2.32). Mediation analysis demonstrated that 6.67% of the association between cancer and depression was mediated through PhenoAgeAccel.

conclusionsCancer experience may increase depression risk, with part of this association being mediated by PhenoAgeAccel. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Cancer survivors require mental health interventions, and strategies to delay biological aging may help alleviate their depressive symptoms.

Indexed as

Biological agingCancerDepressionMediation analysis

Identifiers

PMID41949682

DOI10.3390/cells8010052

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.