There is an elevated chance of bipolar disorder in the offspring of either younger or older parents. If either your mother or father was younger than 20 when you were born, or if she or he was older than 35 when you were born, or if they were older than 45 when you were born, you are at a higher risk. A ‘U-Shaped Curve’ results from this trend, with higher risks both for older and younger families. This study was recently published in journal European Neuropsychopharmacology, and now it is being presented at the ECNP Congress in Vienna.
One of the most prevalent major mental diseases, bipolar disorder causes significant shifts in mood, from elation to sadness, and is associated with a high risk of suicide and premature mortality. It affects about 2% of the population. High levels of heredity have been established for this condition; offspring of parents with bipolar disorder have a 15-30% probability of inheriting the ailment themselves.
Scientists from Spain, Italy, Australia, and the Netherlands conducted a comprehensive literature assessment of studies examining the correlation between age and bipolar disorder.
Of the total 13,424,760 people who took part in the studies, 217,089 were diagnosed with bipolar illness.
According to the study’s findings, older males had a higher probability of having a kid with bipolar disorder than younger men or women. Men in this age group were 29% more likely to have a child with bipolar disorder than dads in the same age range, while women in their late thirties and forties were 20% more likely to have a child with the disease.
Mothers and fathers younger than 20 had a 23% to 29% higher risk (for fathers). Predisposing variables, such as a history of bipolar disorder in the family or the age of the other parent, were adjusted for in all analyses.
Multiple intriguing research issues are sparked by the findings, such as whether or not early intervention is possible. For instance, young people with BD in their manic periods engage in more unsafe sexual behavior,, which is linked to a higher pregnancy risk, and this must be taken into account in everyday therapeutic settings.
