How old am I really?

Abstract

Telomeres are repetitive nucleotides sequences localized to the ends of each individual chromosome. They are replicated during each cellular division, but with each cell cycle they become progressively shorter. The problem is short telomeres are associated with dysregulation of cellular events such as senescence or cell death. The shortening process is accelerated by exposure to stress, smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, and poor diet. Many refer to this process as one of our “biological clocks.” In long-term studies, shortened telomeres are associated with adverse health outcomes including atherosclerosis, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes. Most remarkably, these long-term studies suggest that it is not the short telomeres per se but the attrition rate between baseline and long-term follow-up. Risk may lie more in where you start than where you end up! We inherit our baseline telomere length as a result of our early developmental exposures. In this volume of The Journal, Niu et al describe a meta-analysis to look at the relationship between adverse birth outcomes and birth telomere length. They conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of published literature. Their findings show intrauterine growth restriction is associated with shorter telomere length in telomeres from the placenta but not in newborn blood. Telomere length is longer in infants born preterm than in infants born full term suggesting there is progressive shortening as gestation advances. This report is valuable in several respects. Understanding the significance of a “biological clock” supports our understanding of cellular processes and their relationship to disease. Telomere length may provide insight into the future for early assessment and later preventive strategies to avoid specific health disorders. Article page 64▸ Adverse Birth Outcomes and Birth Telomere Length: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisThe Journal of PediatricsVol. 215PreviewTo synthesize previous findings on the difference in birth telomere length between newborns with and without intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) or with and without preterm birth. Full-Text PDF