Genetic Influences on PTSD Stronger in Females than Males, Study Finds
WEDNESDAY, June 12, 2024 (HealthDay News) — According to a study published online on June 4 in The American Journal of Psychiatry, the genetic factors contributing to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more pronounced in females compared to males.
Led by Dr. Ananda B. Amstadter from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, researchers utilized structural equation modeling to analyze genetic and environmental variances associated with PTSD. The study examined 16,242 pairs of twins and 376,093 pairs of full siblings within a two-year age difference, using diagnostic codes from the Swedish National Registries.
The findings revealed that both additive genetic and unique environmental factors significantly contributed to PTSD. A notable quantitative sex effect showed that heritability was considerably higher in females (35.4 percent) than in males (28.6 percent). Additionally, a qualitative sex effect was observed, with a high but not complete genetic correlation (rg = 0.81) between sexes. There was no evidence indicating the influence of shared or special twin environments.
“Although this is the first formal test of a quantitative sex effect for PTSD, this finding of greater genetic influence among females compared with males is consistent with the overall pattern of findings across twin studies,” the authors noted.
- : public
