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Association of Telomere Length With Risk of Disease and Mortality
Type of article: In Brief
MedED Catalogue Reference: MCC006
MedED Cross Reference: Gerontology, Genetics
Keywords: leukocyte telomere length (LTL), mortality, telomeres, DNA
Sources: JAMA
This original research presents the findings of a multicenter, community-based cohort study that aimed to determine the association between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and mortality and morbidity. Telomeres play a crucial role in protecting DNA, and their shortening with each mitotic cycle is a cellular ageing marker.
The study included 472,432 English participants from the United Kingdom Biobank and followed them for an average of 12 years. The analysis adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, and ethnicity.
The results showed that reduced LTL was associated with increased overall mortality. Specifically, shorter LTL was linked to higher cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, musculoskeletal, and COVID-19-related mortality risks. However, there was no significant association between LTL and cancer-related mortality.
In addition to mortality, the study examined morbidity and found that participants with shorter LTL had a higher prevalence of various disorders. Respiratory, digestive/liver-related, circulatory, and musculoskeletal conditions and infections were most strongly associated with shorter LTL. On the other hand, benign neoplasms and endocrinologic/metabolic disorders were less prevalent in participants with shorter LTL. Some specific cancers, such as oesophagal cancer and lymphoid and myeloid leukaemia, were more common in individuals with shorter LTL, while brain cancer and melanoma were less prevalent.
The study also noted that smoking and alcohol consumption were associated with shorter LTL. However, adjusting for these factors, cognitive function and major comorbid conditions did not significantly change the results.
In conclusion, this cohort study demonstrated that shorter leukocyte telomere length is associated with a small increase in overall mortality risk and a higher risk of mortality related to specific organs and diseases. These findings highlight the potential of LTL as a biomarker for predicting health outcomes and identifying individuals at higher risk of certain conditions.
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