Effect of obesity on telomere length: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Longer Telomere Length and its Association with Lower Levels of C-Peptide

BACKGROUND

Telomeres undergo shortening with each cell division, which could be accelerated by increase obesity and is also related to endocrinology systems. In this study, we aimed to examine the complex association between telomere, C-peptide, and obesity as well as chronic inflammation in a large population-based cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

We used data from a community-based population study, where around 1,382 participants were recruited and had telomere length measured. The association of telomere length with C-peptide was studied using multiple linear regression models. We also examined if obesity, measured by body mass index (BMI), and inflammation could affect this observed association.

RESULTS

Around 48% of these participants were men and 52% were women. The average ages were 51.7 years old for men and 49.1 years old for women. After controlling for age and sex, 1 U increase of telomere length was associated with -0.17 (-0.28, -0.06) unit decrease of C-peptide. Additionally controlling for BMI, the association magnitude was decreased to -0.13 (-0.23, -0.04). Further adjusting for inflammation biomarker did not change the effect estimates.

CONCLUSION

Longer telomere was associated with lower levels of C-peptide. This association could be attenuated by adjusting for obesity.

Nutrition and lifestyle in healthy aging: the telomerase challenge

Nutrition and lifestyle, known to modulate aging process and age-related diseases, might also affect telomerase activity. Short and dysfunctional telomeres rather than average telomere length are associated with longevity in animal models, and their rescue by telomerase maybe sufficient to restore cell and organismal viability. Improving telomerase activation in stem cells and potentially in other cells by diet and lifestyle interventions may represent an intriguing way to promote health-span in humans.

The impact of overweight/obesity duration and physical activity on telomere length: An application of the WATCH paradigm

INTRODUCTION

Physical activity may protect against health consequences associated with obesity, yet less is known on how the duration of obesity alters this association, specifically as it relates to leukocyte telomere length.

METHODS

The 1999-2002 NHANES was used to place individuals into 6 mutually exclusive groups based on physical activity status and weight status/duration.

RESULTS

All active individuals, except for those overweight/obese for longer durations, were associated with longer telomeres in comparison to sedentary individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

Physical activity may attenuate the decline in telomere length associated with obesity, but this protective effect may be negated by prolonged periods of overweight/obesity.

Association of Leukocyte Telomere Length and Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number in Children from Salamanca, Mexico

AIM

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a correlation between telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) in children.

METHODS

Leukocyte TL and mtDNAcn were measured by real-time PCR in 98 Mexican children 6-12 years of age from Salamanca, México.

RESULTS

A positive association was found between TL and mtDNAcn after a natural log transformation (Pearson correlation r = 0.72; p < 0.0001). No correlation between age and body mass index (BMI) biomarkers was found, and no differences according to sex were observed. After adjustment for these variables, a linear regression model showed an association between TL and mtDNAcn (β = 0.739, 95% confidence interval 0.594; 0.885, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

A strong positive correlation between TL and mtDNAcn was found in the study population; age, sex, and BMI seemed to have no effect on this correlation.

Telomere length is independently associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in subjects with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study

AIMS

Individuals with type 2 diabetes show shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) compared to people without diabetes. Reduced LTL is associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in healthy subjects. The aim of the study is to assess whether LTL also correlates with IMT in patients with diabetes.

METHODS

In a cohort of 104 subjects with type 2 diabetes and atherogenic dyslipidemia, we assessed anthropometric, hemodynamic and metabolic parameters. Common carotid IMT was expressed as the maximum IMT. LTL was assessed by a specific real-time PCR reaction.

RESULTS

At univariate analysis, IMT values were positively correlated with age (p < 0.001), previous history of cardiovascular events (p < 0.005), fasting plasma glucose (p < 0.01), HbA1c (p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with LTL (p < 0.05). In a multivariate model, age (p < 0.001) and LTL (p < 0.05) were the only independent predictors of maximum IMT, with an adjusted R (2) of 0.22.

CONCLUSIONS

LTL is an independent predictor of subclinical atherosclerosis pointing to a role of LTL as an early marker of vascular burden and cardiovascular disease also in type 2 diabetes.

Nutrients, foods, dietary patterns and telomere length: Update of epidemiological studies and randomized trials

Identifying simple strategies to prevent or delay age-associated pathologies is a major public health concern. Attrition of telomeres, chromatin structures that help maintain genome stability, leads to cell death or senescence. Thus telomere length is a reliable hallmark of biological aging and the risk of developing age-related chronic diseases through common oxidation and inflammation mechanisms. Variability in telomere shortening that is independent of chronological age suggests that it is a modifiable factor, which may be explained in part by lifestyle variables such as smoking, adiposity, physical exercise, and diet. Here we summarize data from published studies focused on nutrition (nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns) and telomere length. Research on the topic is incipient and most data comes from epidemiologic studies, often cross-sectional in design. Consistent with well-known evidence of benefit or harm for chronic age-related diseases, dietary antioxidants and consumption of antioxidant-rich, plant-derived foods help maintain telomere length. In contrast, total and saturated fat intake and consumption of refined flour cereals, meat and meat products, and sugar-sweetened beverages relate to shorter telomeres. Data on alcohol and dairy products is controversial. There is evidence that adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with longer telomeres. Randomized clinical trials are limited to seafood-derived long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, with promising results. To fill the many gaps in our knowledge of the aging process and confirm nutrition as a useful tool to counteract biological aging more research is warranted, particularly observational studies using repeated measurements of telomere length and randomized trials of foods and dietary patterns with sequential telomere analyses.