Association between skin autofluorescence of advanced glycation end products and affective disorders in the lifelines cohort study

•Skin autofluorescence indicates advanced glycation end products and oxidative stress.•Skin autofluorescence was cross-sectionally associated with affective disorders.•For major depression, the association was strongest and independent covariates.•Findings support the theory of accelerated ageing in affective disorders. Oxidative stress may be a mechanistic link between affective disorders (depressive and anxiety disorders) and somatic disease. Advanced glycation end products are produced under the influence of oxidative stress and in the skin (measured by skin autofluorescence [SAF]) serve as marker for cumulative oxidative stress. Aim of study was to determine whether SAF is associated with presence of affective disorders. Participants in the Lifelines cohort study who had completed the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for affective disorders and a SAF-measurement were included. Cross-sectional associations between SAF and presence of the following psychiatric disorders were investigated through logistic regression analyses adjusted for sociodemographic factors, cardiometabolic parameters, and somatic morbidities: major depressive disorder, dysthymia, generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder or social phobia. Of 81,041 included participants (41.7% male, aged 18–91 years), 6676 (8.2%) were cases with an affective disorder. SAF was associated with presence of affective disorders (OR=1.09 [95%CI 1.07–1.12], P