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December 2, 2008 7:33:18 PM CST

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Bipolar Risk Rises With Father's Age

Posted Sep 2, 08 3:26 PM CDT in Science & Health 

(Newser) – Children born to fathers older than 30 have an 11% higher chance of developing bipolar disorder than kids with younger dads, and the risk increases with the father’s age, new research reveals. The rate climbs to 37% of offspring of fathers aged 55, Reuters reports, compared to the overall incidence of the disorder of 1% to 3% in all adults.

The link between advanced paternal age and increased risk of autism and schizophrenia was already known; the new findings firm up the connection with bipolar disorder, aka manic depression. Swedish researchers used records of 14,000 adults to reach their conclusions, which may help shed light on how the disorder arises in the general population.

Sources Reuters, Chicago Tribune

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Paternal age has been linked to bipolar disorder in offspring.   ((c) appoose81)
Researchers have established a link between paternal age and the incidence of bipolar disorder in offspring.   ((c) dengski)
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The study sheds light on the negative effect of older fathers but most older men will still have healthy children. - Lead researcher Emma Frans of Sweden's Karolinska Institute

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mental health • autism • mental illness • Sweden • schizophrenia • bipolar disorder • birth defect


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