TY - JOUR
T1 - Multiple measures of adiposity are associated with mean leukocyte telomere length in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966
AU - Blakemore, Alexandra I. F.
AU - Buxton, Jessica L.
AU - Das, Shikta
AU - Rodriguez, Alina
AU - Kaakinen, Marika
AU - Couto Alves, Alexessander
AU - Sebert, Sylvain
AU - Millwood, Iona Y.
AU - Laitinen, Jaana
AU - O'Reilly, Paul F.
AU - Jarvelin, Marjo-Riitta
N1 - Note: This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust [grant number: WT088431MA], Medical Research Council [grant number: G0500539], National Institute for Health Research and Imperial College Health Care NHS Trust.
PY - 2014/6/11
Y1 - 2014/6/11
N2 - Studies of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and adiposity have produced conflicting results, and the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and telomere length throughout life remains unclear. We therefore tested association of adult LTL measured in 5,598 participants with: i) childhood growth measures (BMI and age at adiposity rebound (AR)); ii) change in BMI from childhood to adulthood and iii) adult BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body adiposity index (BAI). Childhood BMI at AR was positively associated with LTL at 31 years in women (P = 0.041). Adult BMI and WHR in both men (P = 0.025 and P = 0.049, respectively) and women (P = 0.029 and P = 0.008, respectively), and BAI in women (P = 0.021) were inversely associated with LTL at 31 years. An increase in standardised BMI between early childhood and adulthood was associated with shorter adult LTL in women (P = 0.008). We show that LTL is inversely associated with multiple measures of adiposity in both men and women. Additionally, BMI increase in women from childhood to adulthood is associated with shorter telomeres at age 31, potentially indicating accelerated biological ageing.
AB - Studies of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and adiposity have produced conflicting results, and the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and telomere length throughout life remains unclear. We therefore tested association of adult LTL measured in 5,598 participants with: i) childhood growth measures (BMI and age at adiposity rebound (AR)); ii) change in BMI from childhood to adulthood and iii) adult BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body adiposity index (BAI). Childhood BMI at AR was positively associated with LTL at 31 years in women (P = 0.041). Adult BMI and WHR in both men (P = 0.025 and P = 0.049, respectively) and women (P = 0.029 and P = 0.008, respectively), and BAI in women (P = 0.021) were inversely associated with LTL at 31 years. An increase in standardised BMI between early childhood and adulthood was associated with shorter adult LTL in women (P = 0.008). We show that LTL is inversely associated with multiple measures of adiposity in both men and women. Additionally, BMI increase in women from childhood to adulthood is associated with shorter telomeres at age 31, potentially indicating accelerated biological ageing.
KW - Biological sciences
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24919187
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0099133
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0099133
M3 - Article
C2 - 24919187
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 9
JO - PLoS ONE
JF - PLoS ONE
IS - 6
M1 - e99133
ER -