Having a Usual Source of Care Is Associated with Longer Telomere Length in a National Sample of Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE

To provide a potential biological, mechanistic link for the well-established association between primary care access and reduced mortality, this study sought to measure the impact of having a usual source of health care on leukocyte telomere length (LTL).

DATA SOURCES

Our study population included 3202 participants aged 50 to 84 years from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999 to 2001.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional Study. LTLs between people with and without a usual source of care were compared using unadjusted and adjusted linear regression models. Fully adjusted models accounted for demographic characteristics, health conditions, and health behaviors.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

After controlling for individual factors, health conditions, and health behaviors, people who had a usual source of health care had significantly longer LTL (β = 89.8 base pairs, -value = .005) compared with those without a usual source of care; corresponding to approximately 7 years of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Having a usual source of health care is associated with longer LTL among older adults. This study provides a potential biologic link for the noted association between primary care access and reduced mortality that has been observed at the individual and population level.