Abstract
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. 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. 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. 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.
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