Weischer Maren, Bojesen Stig E, Nordestgaard Børge G
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; The Copenhagen City Heart Study, Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
PLoS Genet. 2014 Mar 13;10(3):e1004191. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004191. eCollection 2014 Mar.
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.
横断面研究表明，端粒长度短与吸烟、体重、身体活动以及可能的酒精摄入量有关；然而，这些关联是否归因于混杂因素尚不清楚。我们对来自普通人群的4576人进行了横断面测试，并对相隔10年的相对端粒长度进行了重复测量。我们还测试了端粒长度的变化是否与普通人群的死亡率和发病率相关。相对端粒长度通过定量聚合酶链反应进行测量。在首次检查时进行横断面分析，端粒长度短与年龄增加（四分位数趋势P = 3×10⁻⁷⁷）、当前吸烟（P = 8×10⁻³）、体重指数增加（P = 7×10⁻¹⁴）、身体不活动（P = 4×10⁻¹⁷）有关，但与酒精摄入量增加无关（P = 0.10）。10年后的第二次检查时，56%的参与者端粒长度减少，44%的参与者端粒长度增加，平均减少193个碱基对。10年间白细胞端粒长度的变化与基线端粒长度呈负相关（P<1×10⁻³⁰⁰），与基线年龄呈负相关（P = 1×10⁻²⁷），但与基线或10年间观察期内的烟草消费量、体重、身体活动或酒精摄入量无关。在第二次检查后的进一步10年随访期间，端粒长度变化的四分位数与全因死亡率、癌症、慢性阻塞性肺疾病、糖尿病、缺血性脑血管疾病或缺血性心脏病的风险无关。总之，横断面研究中，吸烟、体重增加和身体不活动与端粒长度短有关，但在10年观察期内与端粒长度变化无关，酒精摄入量与两者均无关。此外，端粒长度的变化与普通人群的死亡率或发病率在前瞻性研究中无关。
