Association of Postpartum Depression With Phenotypic Biological Aging and Aging-Related Diseases in Midlife Women

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common mental health condition affecting women after childbirth and has been linked to long-term health outcomes. However, it remains unclear whether PPD is associated with accelerated aging and increased burden of aging-related diseases later in life.

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis among 38 551 parous women from the UK Biobank. Phenotypic biological aging was assessed using two aging clocks, PhenoAge and Klemera-Doubal biological age (KDMAge), derived from clinical biomarkers. Age acceleration was quantified as standardized BAGs after regressing biological age on chronological age. Aging-related disease burden was defined as the presence of at least one of 69 chronic diseases mapped to molecular hallmarks of aging. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine associations between PPD and phenotypic BAGs or aging-related disease phenotypes. Subgroup analyses were conducted across demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle factors.

Women with a history of PPD showed modestly higher phenotypic aging measures than women without PPD. PPD was associated with higher PhenoAge BAGs and KDMAge BAGs, as well as a higher likelihood of having at least one aging-related disease. These associations were largely consistent across socioeconomic strata defined by education, employment, and Townsend Deprivation Index. Subgroup analyses demonstrated similar patterns across demographic and lifestyle factors, with limited evidence of effect modification.

PPD was associated with modestly accelerated biological aging and a greater burden of aging-related diseases in later life. These findings suggest that postpartum mental health may have long-term implications for systemic aging processes and women's health trajectories.