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Chen M, Wang Z, Xu H, Teng P, Li W, Ma L. Association between modifiable lifestyle factors and telomere length: a univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization study. J Transl Med 2024; 22:160. [PMID: 38365769 PMCID: PMC10870665 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-04956-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telomere length has long been recognized as a valuable biomarker of aging and is inversely correlated with chronological age. Various lifestyle factors have been implicated in telomere shortening or preservation; however, the association between lifestyle factors and telomere length remains controversial. To address this issue, we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the potential causal associations between multiple lifestyle factors and telomere length. METHODS Independent genetic variants strongly associated with lifestyle factors (tobacco smoking, sleep duration, insomnia, and physical activity) were selected as instrumental variables from corresponding genome-wide association studies (GWASs). Summary-level data for telomere length was obtained from a GWAS comprising 472,174 European ancestries. Univariable and multivariable MR analyses were performed to assess the relationships. RESULTS The genetic liability to lifetime smoking was robustly associated with shorter telomere length (odd ratio [OR]: 0.882; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.847-0.918). Genetically predicted insomnia was also linked to shorter telomere length (OR: 0.972; 95% CI: 0.959-0.985), while no significant association was observed between sleep duration and telomere length. Furthermore, a suggestive association was found between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and longer telomere length (OR: 1.680; 95% CI: 1.115-2.531). In multivariable MR analyses, adjusting for potential mediators such as body mass index, type 2 diabetes, alcohol consumption, and alcohol use disorder, the associations of lifetime smoking and insomnia with telomere length remained robust. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that smoking and insomnia may contribute to telomere shortening, while physical activity may play a role in telomere length maintenance. These findings underscore the importance of managing positive risk factors and adopting a healthy lifestyle to promote telomere health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Number 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Number 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hongfei Xu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Number 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Peng Teng
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Number 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Weidong Li
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Number 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liang Ma
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Number 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, China.
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2
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Leake DW. Tracing Slow Phenoptosis to the Prenatal Stage in Social Vertebrates. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2022; 87:1512-1527. [PMID: 36717460 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297922120094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Vladimir Skulachev's coining of the term "phenoptosis" 25 years ago (Skulachev, V. P., Biochemistry (Moscow), 62, 1997) highlighted the theoretical possibility that aging is a programmed process to speed the exit of individuals posing some danger to their social group. While rapid "acute phenoptosis" might occur at any age (e.g., to prevent spread of deadly infections), "slow phenoptosis" is generally considered to occur later in life in the form of chronic age-related disorders. However, recent research indicates that risks for such chronic disorders can be greatly raised by early life adversity, especially during the prenatal stage. Much of this research uses indicators of biological aging, the speeding or slowing of natural physiological deterioration in response to environmental inputs, leading to divergence from chronological age. Studies using biological aging indicators commonly find it is accelerated not only in older individuals with chronic disorders, but also in very young individuals with health problems. This review will explain how accelerated biological aging equates to slow phenoptosis. Its occurrence even in the prenatal stage is theoretically supported by W. D. Hamilton's proposal that offsprings detecting they have dangerous mutations should then automatically speed their demise, in order to improve their inclusive fitness by giving their parents the chance to produce other fitter siblings.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Leake
- University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
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3
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Exercise regulates shelterin genes and microRNAs implicated in ageing in Thoroughbred horses. Pflugers Arch 2022; 474:1159-1169. [PMID: 36085194 PMCID: PMC9560944 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-022-02745-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Ageing causes a gradual deterioration of bodily functions and telomere degradation. Excessive telomere shortening leads to cellular senescence and decreases tissue vitality. Six proteins, called shelterin, protect telomere integrity and control telomere length through telomerase-dependent mechanisms. Exercise training appears to maintain telomeres in certain somatic cells, although the underlying molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here, we examined the influence of a single bout of vigorous exercise training on leukocyte telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and shelterin gene expression, and the abundance of three microRNAs (miRNAs) implicated in biological ageing (miRNA-143, -223 and -486-5p) in an elite athlete and large animal model, Thoroughbred horses. Gene and miRNA expression were analysed using primer-based and TaqMan Assay qPCR. Leukocyte TRF1, TRF2 and POT1 expression were all significantly increased whilst miR-223 and miR-486-5p were decreased immediately after vigorous exercise (all p < 0.05), and tended to return to baseline levels 24 h after training. Relative to the young horses (~ 3.9 years old), middle-aged horses (~ 14.8 years old) exhibited reduced leukocyte TERT gene expression, and increased POT1 and miR-223 abundance (all p < 0.05). These data demonstrate that genes transcribing key components of the shelterin-telomere complex are influenced by ageing and dynamically regulated by a single bout of vigorous exercise in a large, athletic mammal - Thoroughbred horses. Our findings also implicate TERT and shelterin gene transcripts as potential targets of miR-223 and miR-486-5p, which are modulated by exercise and may have a role in the telomere maintenance and genomic stability associated with long-term aerobic training.
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4
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Higher hair cortisol concentrations associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length in high-risk young adults. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11730. [PMID: 35821228 PMCID: PMC9276815 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14905-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress is associated with accelerated biological aging as indexed by short age-adjusted leukocyte telomere length (LTL). Exploring links of biological stress responses with LTL has proved challenging due to the lack of biological measures of chronic psychological stress. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) has emerged as a measure of chronic hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activation, allowing the examination of relationships between aggregate cortisol concentrations over time and LTL. Our sample includes 92 participants (38% women, Mage = 26 ± 3.7 years) from a high-risk sample of young adults with previous residential care placements. Two cm hair was collected for HCC, reflecting approximately eight weeks of cortisol secretion. LTL was measured with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in whole blood samples. All samples for LTL were run in triplicate and assayed twice. Linear and polynomial regression models were used to describe the association between HCC and LTL, adjusting for age and sex. HCC and LTL showed negative associations (std. ß = − 0.67, 95% CI [− 0.83, − 0.52], p < .001) in age- and sex-adjusted analyses, indicating that higher HCCs are associated with shorter LTL. Using polynomial regression, we found a curvilinear relationship indicating a stronger negative association at lower cortisol concentrations. Higher HCCs were associated with shorter LTL, supporting the hypothesized involvement of prolonged cortisol secretion in telomere attrition. Thus, HCC may prove useful as a biological indicator of chronic stress associated with aging-related processes in samples exposed to high levels of stress.
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Bazaz MR, Balasubramanian R, Monroy-Jaramillo N, Dandekar MP. Linking the Triad of Telomere Length, Inflammation, and Gut Dysbiosis in the Manifestation of Depression. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:3516-3526. [PMID: 34547897 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomere length is an indispensable marker for cellular and biological aging, and it also represents an individual's physical and mental health status. Telomere shortening has been observed in chronic inflammatory conditions, which in turn accelerates aging and risk for psychiatric disorders, including depression. Considering the influence of inflammation and telomere shortening on the gut-brain axis, herein we describe a plausible interplay between telomere attrition, inflammation, and gut dysbiosis in the neurobiology of depression. Telomere shortening and hyperinflammation are well reported in depression. A negative impact of augmented inflammation has been noted on the intestinal permeability and microbial consortia and their byproducts in depressive patients. Moreover, gut dysbiosis provokes host-immune responses. As the gut microbiome is gaining importance in the manifestation and management of depression, herein we discuss whether telomere attrition is connected with the perturbation of commensal microflora. We also describe a pathological connection of cortisol with hyperinflammation, telomere shortening, and gut dysbiosis occurring in depression. This review summarizes how the triad of telomere attrition, inflammation, and gut dysbiosis is interconnected and modulates the risk for depression by regulating the systemic cortisol levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Rabi Bazaz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, Telangana, India, 500037
| | - Ramya Balasubramanian
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, Telangana, India, 500037
| | - Nancy Monroy-Jaramillo
- Department of Genetics, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery Manuel Velasco Suárez (NINN), Mexico City, Mexico, 14269
| | - Manoj P. Dandekar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, Telangana, India, 500037
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Madison AA, Belury MA, Andridge R, Renna ME, Shrout MR, Malarkey WB, Lin J, Epel ES, Kiecolt-Glaser JK. Omega-3 supplementation and stress reactivity of cellular aging biomarkers: an ancillary substudy of a randomized, controlled trial in midlife adults. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:3034-3042. [PMID: 33875799 PMCID: PMC8510994 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01077-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Higher levels of omega-3 track with longer telomeres, lower inflammation, and blunted sympathetic and cardiovascular stress reactivity. Whether omega-3 supplementation alters the stress responsivity of telomerase, cortisol, and inflammation is unknown. This randomized, controlled trial examined the impact of omega-3 supplementation on cellular aging-related biomarkers following a laboratory speech stressor. In total, 138 sedentary, overweight, middle-aged participants (n = 93 women, n = 45 men) received either 2.5 g/d of omega-3, 1.25 g/d of omega-3, or a placebo for 4 months. Before and after the trial, participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test. Saliva and blood samples were collected once before and repeatedly after the stressor to measure salivary cortisol, telomerase in peripheral blood lymphocytes, and serum anti-inflammatory (interleukin-10; IL-10) and pro-inflammatory (interleukin-6; IL-6, interleukin-12, tumor necrosis factor-alpha) cytokines. Adjusting for pre-supplementation reactivity, age, sagittal abdominal diameter, and sex, omega-3 supplementation altered telomerase (p = 0.05) and IL-10 (p = 0.05) stress reactivity; both supplementation groups were protected from the placebo group's 24% and 26% post-stress declines in the geometric means of telomerase and IL-10, respectively. Omega-3 also reduced overall cortisol (p = 0.03) and IL-6 (p = 0.03) throughout the stressor; the 2.5 g/d group had 19% and 33% lower overall cortisol levels and IL-6 geometric mean levels, respectively, compared to the placebo group. By lowering overall inflammation and cortisol levels during stress and boosting repair mechanisms during recovery, omega-3 may slow accelerated aging and reduce depression risk. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00385723.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelise A. Madison
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine,Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University
| | - Martha A. Belury
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine,Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University
| | - Rebecca Andridge
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine,College of Public Health, The Ohio State University
| | - Megan E. Renna
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
| | - M. Rosie Shrout
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
| | - William B. Malarkey
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine,Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Elissa S. Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
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Early Puberty and Telomere Length in Preadolescent Girls and Mothers. J Pediatr 2020; 222:193-199.e5. [PMID: 32586523 PMCID: PMC7405936 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.02.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To test the association between early puberty and telomere length in preadolescent girls and mothers from a large representative sample of US females. STUDY DESIGN We analyzed data from 1194 preadolescent girls and 2421 mothers from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Participants were from a population-based birth cohort (1998-2000) born in large US cities. Telomere length was assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction from saliva samples provided by preadolescent girls and mothers of preadolescent youth. Mothers completed a questionnaire about their child's pubertal development to determine concurrent Tanner stages and provided self-reports of her own age at menarche. Linear regression models were used to estimate the association between pubertal development (status and timing) and telomere length. RESULTS Early pubertal timing but not pubertal status was associated with shorter telomere length in preadolescent girls (P < .01). Early age at menarche was associated with shorter telomere length in a sample of mothers of preadolescent youth (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS Results provide evidence for the association between early puberty and shorter telomeres evidenced by associations in both preadolescent girls and mothers. Future research should address the limitations of this study by using longitudinal measurements of pubertal development assessed through medical examinations and repeated assessments of telomere length to capture telomere attrition.
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8
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de Baca TC, Prather AA, Lin J, Sternfeld B, Adler N, Epel ES, Puterman E. Chronic psychosocial and financial burden accelerates 5-year telomere shortening: findings from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:1141-1153. [PMID: 31455861 PMCID: PMC7044034 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0482-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Leukocyte telomere length, a marker of immune system function, is sensitive to exposures such as psychosocial stressors and health-maintaining behaviors. Past research has determined that stress experienced in adulthood is associated with shorter telomere length, but is limited to mostly cross-sectional reports. We test whether repeated reports of chronic psychosocial and financial burden is associated with telomere length change over a 5-year period (years 15 and 20) from 969 participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study, a longitudinal, population-based cohort, ages 18-30 at time of recruitment in 1985. We further examine whether multisystem resiliency, comprised of social connections, health-maintaining behaviors, and psychological resources, mitigates the effects of repeated burden on telomere attrition over 5 years. Our results indicate that adults with high chronic burden do not show decreased telomere length over the 5-year period. However, these effects do vary by level of resiliency, as regression results revealed a significant interaction between chronic burden and multisystem resiliency. For individuals with high repeated chronic burden and low multisystem resiliency (1 SD below the mean), there was a significant 5-year shortening in telomere length, whereas no significant relationships between chronic burden and attrition were evident for those at moderate and higher levels of resiliency. These effects apply similarly across the three components of resiliency. Results imply that interventions should focus on establishing strong social connections, psychological resources, and health-maintaining behaviors when attempting to ameliorate stress-related decline in telomere length among at-risk individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomás Cabeza de Baca
- Division of Cardiology, 400 Parnassus Ave., AC-16, Box 0369, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Aric A. Prather
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco
| | - Jue Lin
- Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco
| | | | - Nancy Adler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco
| | - Elissa S. Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco
| | - Eli Puterman
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, War Memorial Gymnasium, Room 210, 6081 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
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9
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Banihashemi L, Wallace ML, Peng CW, Stinley MM, Germain A, Herringa RJ. Interactions between childhood maltreatment and combat exposure trauma on stress-related activity within the cingulate cortex: a pilot study. MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 32:176-185. [PMID: 38536373 PMCID: PMC10013548 DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2019.1702831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Childhood trauma may sensitize the brain, increasing vulnerability to maladaptive stress responses following adulthood trauma exposure. Previous work has identified the cingulum as a white matter pathway that may be sensitized to adulthood trauma by childhood maltreatment. In this pilot study of young adult male military veterans (N = 28), we examined a priori regions of interest (ROIs) connected by the cingulum, including regions involved in cognitive processes and stress responses. Our goal was to examine the interaction between childhood maltreatment and combat exposure on stress-related activity within cingulum-associated ROIs. As such we utilized a mild cognitive stress task, a performance-titrated multi-source interference task (MSIT). We found that childhood maltreatment moderated the effect of combat exposure on stress-related, interference-evoked activity within the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC, activation), subgenual ACC (sgACC, deactivation) and posterior midcingulate cortex (pMCC, deactivation). Greater combat exposure was associated with greater interference-evoked activation within the dACC, and less sgACC and pMCC deactivation among individuals with more severe childhood maltreatment. Our findings suggest that child maltreatment sensitizes these anterior and mid-cingulate regions to later life trauma. These findings may have implications for cognitive control, autonomic regulation/stress reactivity, and responses to noxious/aversive stimuli, which may contribute to increased psychiatric vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layla Banihashemi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Meredith L. Wallace
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Statistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Christine W. Peng
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Mark M. Stinley
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Anne Germain
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Ryan J. Herringa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
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10
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Jiang Y, Da W, Qiao S, Zhang Q, Li X, Ivey G, Zilioli S. Basal cortisol, cortisol reactivity, and telomere length: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 103:163-172. [PMID: 30695740 PMCID: PMC6450740 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The objective of the present study is to synthesize the existing empirical literature and perform a meta-analysis of published data on the relationship between cortisol and telomere length. We systematically searched studies that examined the relationship between cortisol and telomere length in humans on electronic databases and screened reference sections of included articles. Fourteen studies were included in the meta-analysis, with effect sizes being extracted for two cortisol measures: basal cortisol levels and cortisol reactivity to acute psychological stress. Results from random effects models showed that basal cortisol levels (13 effect sizes from 12 cross-sectional studies, N = 3675 participants) were not significantly correlated with telomere length (r =-0.05, 95% CI [-0.11, 0.02]). Further, results stratified by the specimen type for cortisol measurement (i.e., saliva, urine, blood) showed that none of the three basal cortisol level measures were correlated with telomere length. However, we found a statistically significant correlation between salivary cortisol reactivity to acute psychosocial stress (6 cross-sectional studies, N = 958 participants) and telomere length (r = -0.13, 95% CI [-0.23, -0.03]). Subgroup analyses revealed that correlations between salivary cortisol reactivity and telomere length were more evident in studies conducted among children (vs. adults) and in studies that included female participants only (vs. both genders). However, the small number of available studies limits the conclusions derived from subgroup analyses, and more studies are needed before moderator effects can be properly established. Overall, findings of this study support the existence of a relationship between cortisol reactivity and telomere shortening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanping Jiang
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, & Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC United States.
| | - Wendi Da
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, & Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
| | - Shan Qiao
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, & Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
| | - Quan Zhang
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, & Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
| | - Xiaoming Li
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, & Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
| | - Grace Ivey
- Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
| | - Samuele Zilioli
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI United States; Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI United States.
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11
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Steptoe A, Hiltl TJ, Dowd JB, Hamer M. Socioeconomic status and central adiposity as determinants of stress-related biological responses relevant to cardiovascular disease risk. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 77:16-24. [PMID: 30468859 PMCID: PMC6417991 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress-related processes have been implicated in the associations between lower socioeconomic status (SES), central adiposity, and cardiovascular disease risk. This study analysed the impact of SES and central adiposity on cardiovascular, inflammatory and neuroendocrine stress responses, and associations with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in a sample of 537 men and women aged 53-76 years (mean 62.89 years). SES was defined by grade of employment (higher, intermediate, and lower categories), and central adiposity was indexed by waist-hip ratio (WHR). Cardiovascular, inflammatory and cortisol responses were monitored during administration of a standardized mental stress testing protocol and salivary cortisol was measured repeatedly over the day. Lower SES was associated with raised systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), plasma interleukin (IL-6), fibrinogen, C-reactive protein, and salivary cortisol, and a large WHR accentuated SES differences in fibrinogen, C-reactive protein, and likelihood of CMV seropositivity, independently of general adiposity indexed by body mass index. During mental stress testing, return to resting levels (recovery) following behavioural challenge in systolic and diastolic BP and heart rate was impaired among lower SES participants, particularly those with large WHR. Lower SES participants had greater cortisol concentrations across the day, but this pattern did not vary with WHR. These findings extend the evidence relating lower SES to stress-related biological risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and indicate that central adiposity may augment these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Steptoe
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Tanja-Julia Hiltl
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Jennifer Beam Dowd
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Mark Hamer
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK; School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, UK
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Conklin QA, Crosswell AD, Saron CD, Epel ES. Meditation, stress processes, and telomere biology. Curr Opin Psychol 2018; 28:92-101. [PMID: 30553080 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Both theoretical and empirical work support the notion that meditation training can improve telomere regulation, which may ultimately contribute to healthy aging. Yet, the psychological and biological mechanisms underlying these changes remain underspecified, as do the contexts and boundary conditions in which these changes occur. Here we summarize studies investigating the effects of various meditation-based interventions on telomere biology, making suggestions for future research. We then propose a model describing how meditation training may impact acute and habitual stress responses as pathways to improved cell aging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Elissa S Epel
- University of California, San Francisco, United States.
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13
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Adult attachment and physical health. Curr Opin Psychol 2018; 25:115-120. [PMID: 29734091 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
This article examines how individual differences in adult attachment shape regulatory strategies and relationship behaviors, which in turn influence health-related responses, behaviors, and outcomes. We review links between attachment and physiological responses to stress (e.g., hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responses, cardiovascular responses, immune responses), health behavior (e.g., substance use, diet), and downstream health and disease outcomes. Recent evidence suggests that attachment insecurity (attachment anxiety and/or attachment avoidance) is associated with dysregulated physiological responses to stress, risky health behaviors, susceptibility to physical illness, and poorer disease outcomes. These associations depend, in part, on the relationship context, including the other partner's attachment style and behavior. We suggest that a dyadic approach considering both partners' attachment styles and behaviors will enhance interventions to promote health.
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Epel ES, Prather AA. Stress, Telomeres, and Psychopathology: Toward a Deeper Understanding of a Triad of Early Aging. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2018; 14:371-397. [PMID: 29494257 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032816-045054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Telomeres play an important part in aging and show relationships to lifetime adversity, particularly childhood adversity. Meta-analyses demonstrate reliable associations between psychopathology (primarily depression) and shorter telomere length, but the nature of this relationship has not been fully understood. Here, we review and evaluate the evidence for impaired telomere biology as a consequence of psychopathology or as a contributing factor, and the important mediating roles of chronic psychological stress and impaired allostasis. There is evidence for a triadic relationship among stress, telomere shortening, and psychiatric disorders that is positively reinforcing and unfolds across the life course and, possibly, across generations. We review the role of genetics and biobehavioral responses that may contribute to shorter telomere length, as well as the neurobiological impact of impaired levels of telomerase. These complex interrelationships are important to elucidate because they have implications for mental and physical comorbidity and, potentially, for the prevention and treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aric A Prather
- Department of Psychiatry; Center for Health and Community; Aging, Metabolism, and Emotions Center; University of California, San Francisco, California 94118, USA; ,
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15
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Drury SS, Howell BR, Jones C, Esteves K, Morin E, Schlesinger R, Meyer JS, Baker K, Sanchez MM. Shaping long-term primate development: Telomere length trajectory as an indicator of early maternal maltreatment and predictor of future physiologic regulation. Dev Psychopathol 2017; 29:1539-1551. [PMID: 29162166 PMCID: PMC5864972 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579417001225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The molecular, neurobiological, and physical health impacts of child maltreatment are well established, yet mechanistic pathways remain inadequately defined. Telomere length (TL) decline is an emerging molecular indicator of stress exposure with definitive links to negative health outcomes in maltreated individuals. The multiple confounders endemic to human maltreatment research impede the identification of causal pathways. This study leverages a unique randomized, cross-foster, study design in a naturalistic translational nonhuman primate model of infant maltreatment. At birth, newborn macaques were randomly assigned to either a maltreating or a competent control mother, balancing for sex, biological mother parenting history, and social rank. Offspring TL was measured longitudinally across the first 6 months of life (infancy) from peripheral blood. Hair cortisol accumulation was also determined at 6, 12, and 18 months of age. TL decline was greater in animals randomized to maltreatment, but also interacted with biological mother group. Shorter TL at 6 months was associated with higher mean cortisol levels through 18 months (juvenile period) when controlling for relevant covariates. These results suggest that even under the equivalent social, nutritional, and environmental conditions feasible in naturalistic translational nonhuman primate models, early adverse caregiving results in lasting molecular scars that foreshadow elevated health risk and physiologic dysregulation.
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16
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Dowd JB, Bosch JA, Steptoe A, Jayabalasingham B, Lin J, Yolken R, Aiello AE. Persistent Herpesvirus Infections and Telomere Attrition Over 3 Years in the Whitehall II Cohort. J Infect Dis 2017; 216:565-572. [PMID: 28931225 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jix255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The determinants of telomere attrition, a potential marker of cellular aging, are not well understood. Persistent herpesvirus infections including cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection may be particularly important for telomere dynamics via mechanisms such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and their impact on peripheral blood lymphocyte composition. This study examined the association of 4 human herpesviruses (CMV, herpes simplex virus type 1, human herpesvirus type 6, and Epstein-Barr virus) with change in leukocyte telomere length (LTL) over 3 years in 400 healthy individuals (aged 53-76 years) from the Whitehall II cohort. CMV, herpes simplex virus type 1, and human herpesvirus 6 infection were independently associated with greater 3-year LTL attrition, with no association found for Epstein-Barr virus. The magnitudes of these associations were large, for example, the equivalent of almost 12 years of chronological age for those CMV seropositive. Seropositivity to more herpesviruses was additively associated with greater LTL attrition (3 herpesviruses vs none, β = -0.07 and P = .02; 4 infections vs none, β = -0.14 and P < .001). Higher immunoglobulin G antibody levels among those seropositive to CMV were also associated with shorter LTL at follow-up. These associations were robust to adjustment for age, sex, employment grade, body mass index, and smoking status. These results suggest that exposure to infectious agents should be an important consideration in future studies of telomere dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer B Dowd
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, King's College London.,Epidemiology and Biostatistics, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, New York, New York
| | - Jos A Bosch
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam.,Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Mannheim Institute of Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine, Mannheim Medical Faculty, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andrew Steptoe
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Bamini Jayabalasingham
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, New York, New York
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Robert Yolken
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Allison E Aiello
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
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