Abstract

Cross-sectional studies have associated short telomere length with smoking, body weight, physical activity, and possibly alcohol intake; however, whether these associations are due to confounding is unknown. We tested these hypotheses in 4,576 individuals from the general population cross-sectionally, and with repeat measurement of relative telomere length 10 years apart. We also tested whether change in telomere length is associated with mortality and morbidity in the general population. Relative telomere length was measured with quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Cross-sectionally at the first examination, short telomere length was associated with increased age (P for trend across quartiles = 3×10−77), current smoking (P = 8×10−3), increased body mass index (P = 7×10−14), physical inactivity (P = 4×10−17), but not with increased alcohol intake (P = 0.10). At the second examination 10 years later, 56% of participants had lost and 44% gained telomere length with a mean loss of 193 basepairs. Change in leukocyte telomere length during 10 years was associated inversely with baseline telomere length (P<1×10−300) and age at baseline (P = 1×10−27), but not with baseline or 10-year inter-observational tobacco consumption, body weight, physical activity, or alcohol intake. Prospectively during a further 10 years follow-up after the second examination, quartiles of telomere length change did not associate with risk of all-cause mortality, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, ischemic cerebrovascular disease, or ischemic heart disease. In conclusion, smoking, increased body weight, and physical inactivity were associated with short telomere length cross-sectionally, but not with telomere length change during 10 years observation, and alcohol intake was associated with neither. Also, change in telomere length did not associate prospectively with mortality or morbidity in the general population.

Highlights

  • Telomeres are 1,500 to 15,000 basepairs long tandem repeat DNA sequences (TTAGGG)x which cap at the ends of linear chromosomes [1,2]

  • It is widely believed that lifestyle features such as smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, and possibly alcohol intake enhance shortening of telomeres

  • Strong evidence to support such an interpretation is hard to find. We tested whether these lifestyle factors are associated with telomere length change in 4,576 healthy individuals from the general population

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Summary

Introduction

Telomeres are 1,500 to 15,000 basepairs long tandem repeat DNA sequences (TTAGGG)x which cap at the ends of linear chromosomes [1,2]. At the same time cross-sectional studies have reported short telomere length to be associated with lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, and possible alcohol intake [2,10,11,12]. These observations have led to a general belief that telomere length is shortened by these factors, and that telomere length possibly could be a marker of biological age of tissues [12,13,14]. The association between lifestyle factors and short telomere length could be due to confounding. It is uncertain whether change in lifestyle can change telomere length, and whether telomere length change is associated with risk of mortality and morbidity

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