1695-P: On the Temporal Relationship between Telomere Length and Adiposity Levels

Abstract

Short telomere length (TL) has been found to be associated with obesity related traits. However, most studies were cross-sectional in nature and conducted in adult subjects only. We aimed at examining the temporal relationship between telomere length and adiposity levels, measured by BMI, in both adults and youth. Our samples were selected from a population-based prospective cohort study in Southwest Amerindians who are at high risk for metabolic disorders. We obtained TL measures at 2 time points >10 years apart for 805 individuals who had concomitant BMI measures, and designated these as baseline and follow-up (f/u) exams; 1/3 were male and 1/3 were aged <18 years at baseline The means (range) of TL (measured in SD units), age at baseline, BMI at baseline, and the f/u period were 4.8±1.0 (2.2-8.5) SD units, 24.6±10.3 (5-63) years, 31.7±7.9 (15-63) kg/m2, and 13.6±1.7 years (11-18.4 years), respectively. No significant sex difference was observed, and 48% of subjects had longer TL at f/u. TL at baseline in youth was 14% longer than that of adults on average (p<E-4). There was no association between BMI at baseline and change in TL at f/u (β=-0.0036±0.0048 SD unit/kg*m-2, p=0.45 in the entire sample, similar results observed in adults or youth only), adjusted for effects of age, sex, ancestry, assay batches and the length of f/u. Longer TL at baseline had a modest association with lower change in BMI at f/u in youth (β=-2.89±1.47 kg*m-2/SD unit, p=0.050) but not in adults (β=0.96±0.96, p=0.32). In conclusion, our findings suggest that TL may be a risk factor for obesity, especially in younger people, but not the other way around. A larger study is underway to provide more robust estimates. Disclosure W.Hsueh: None. J.Lin: None. R.L.Hanson: None. Funding National Institutes of Health