Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Even before the onset of age-related diseases, obesity might be a contributing factor to the cumulative burden of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation throughout the life course. Obesity may therefore contribute to accelerated shortening of telomeres. Consequently, obese persons are more likely to have shorter telomeres, but the association between body mass index (BMI) and leukocyte telomere length (TL) might differ across the life span and between ethnicities and sexes.Objective
A collaborative cross-sectional meta-analysis of observational studies was conducted to investigate the associations between BMI and TL across the life span.Design
Eighty-seven distinct study samples were included in the meta-analysis capturing data from 146,114 individuals. Study-specific age- and sex-adjusted regression coefficients were combined by using a random-effects model in which absolute [base pairs (bp)] and relative telomere to single-copy gene ratio (T/S ratio) TLs were regressed against BMI. Stratified analysis was performed by 3 age categories ("young": 18-60 y; "middle": 61-75 y; and "old": >75 y), sex, and ethnicity.Results
Each unit increase in BMI corresponded to a -3.99 bp (95% CI: -5.17, -2.81 bp) difference in TL in the total pooled sample; among young adults, each unit increase in BMI corresponded to a -7.67 bp (95% CI: -10.03, -5.31 bp) difference. Each unit increase in BMI corresponded to a -1.58 × 10(-3) unit T/S ratio (0.16% decrease; 95% CI: -2.14 × 10(-3), -1.01 × 10(-3)) difference in age- and sex-adjusted relative TL in the total pooled sample; among young adults, each unit increase in BMI corresponded to a -2.58 × 10(-3) unit T/S ratio (0.26% decrease; 95% CI: -3.92 × 10(-3), -1.25 × 10(-3)). The associations were predominantly for the white pooled population. No sex differences were observed.Conclusions
A higher BMI is associated with shorter telomeres, especially in younger individuals. The presently observed difference is not negligible. Meta-analyses of longitudinal studies evaluating change in body weight alongside change in TL are warranted.
SUBMITTER: Gielen M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6454526 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Gielen Marij M Hageman Geja J GJ Antoniou Evangelia E EE Nordfjall Katarina K Mangino Massimo M Balasubramanyam Muthuswamy M de Meyer Tim T Hendricks Audrey E AE Giltay Erik J EJ Hunt Steven C SC Nettleton Jennifer A JA Salpea Klelia D KD Diaz Vanessa A VA Farzaneh-Far Ramin R Atzmon Gil G Harris Sarah E SE Hou Lifang L Gilley David D Hovatta Iiris I Kark Jeremy D JD Nassar Hisham H Kurz David J DJ Mather Karen A KA Willeit Peter P Zheng Yun-Ling YL Pavanello Sofia S Demerath Ellen W EW Rode Line L Bunout Daniel D Steptoe Andrew A Boardman Lisa L Marti Amelia A Needham Belinda B Zheng Wei W Ramsey-Goldman Rosalind R Pellatt Andrew J AJ Kaprio Jaakko J Hofmann Jonathan N JN Gieger Christian C Paolisso Giuseppe G Hjelmborg Jacob B H JBH Mirabello Lisa L Seeman Teresa T Wong Jason J van der Harst Pim P Broer Linda L Kronenberg Florian F Kollerits Barbara B Strandberg Timo T Eisenberg Dan T A DTA Duggan Catherine C Verhoeven Josine E JE Schaakxs Roxanne R Zannolli Raffaela R Dos Reis Rosana M R RMR Charchar Fadi J FJ Tomaszewski Maciej M Mons Ute U Demuth Ilja I Iglesias Molli Andrea Elena AE Cheng Guo G Krasnienkov Dmytro D D'Antono Bianca B Kasielski Marek M McDonnell Barry J BJ Ebstein Richard Paul RP Sundquist Kristina K Pare Guillaume G Chong Michael M Zeegers Maurice P MP
The American journal of clinical nutrition 20180901 3
<h4>Background</h4>Even before the onset of age-related diseases, obesity might be a contributing factor to the cumulative burden of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation throughout the life course. Obesity may therefore contribute to accelerated shortening of telomeres. Consequently, obese persons are more likely to have shorter telomeres, but the association between body mass index (BMI) and leukocyte telomere length (TL) might differ across the life span and between ethnicities and sexes. ...[more]