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Body mass index is negatively associated with telomere length : A collaborative cross-sectional meta-analysis of 87 observational studies

Gielen, Marij ; Hageman, Geja J. ; Antoniou, Evangelia E. ; Nordfjall, Katarina ; Mangino, Massimo ; Balasubramanyam, Muthuswamy ; De Meyer, Tim ; Hendricks, Audrey E. ; Giltay, Erik J. and Hunt, Steven C. , et al. (2018) In American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 108(3). p.453-475
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-sectionalmeta-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... (More)

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-sectionalmeta-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. Studyspecific 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 ageand 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 arewarranted.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
BMI, Low-grade inflammation, Meta-analysis, Obesity, Observational studies, Telomere length
in
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
volume
108
issue
3
pages
23 pages
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85054190686
ISSN
0002-9165
DOI
10.1093/ajcn/nqy107
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3693c35c-1ba1-456d-9c94-5d30aaa269ad
date added to LUP
2018-10-16 14:36:46
date last changed
2022-04-25 17:59:07
@article{3693c35c-1ba1-456d-9c94-5d30aaa269ad,
  abstract     = {{<p>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-sectionalmeta-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. Studyspecific 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": &gt;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<sup>-3</sup> unit T/S ratio (0.16% decrease; 95% CI: -2.14 × 10<sup>-3</sup>, -1.01 × 10<sup>-3</sup>) difference in ageand sex-adjusted relative TL in the total pooled sample; among young adults, each unit increase in BMI corresponded to a -2.58 × 10<sup>-3</sup> unit T/S ratio (0.26% decrease; 95% CI: -3.92 × 10<sup>-3</sup>, -1.25 × 10<sup>-3</sup>). 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 arewarranted.</p>}},
  author       = {{Gielen, Marij and Hageman, Geja J. and Antoniou, Evangelia E. and Nordfjall, Katarina and Mangino, Massimo and Balasubramanyam, Muthuswamy and De Meyer, Tim and Hendricks, Audrey E. and Giltay, Erik J. and Hunt, Steven C. and Nettleton, Jennifer A. and Salpea, Klelia D. and Diaz, Vanessa A. and Farzaneh-Far, Ramin and Atzmon, Gil and Harris, Sarah E. and Hou, Lifang and Gilley, David and Hovatta, Iiris and Kark, Jeremy D. and Nassar, Hisham and Kurz, David J. and Mather, Karen A. and Willeit, Peter and Zheng, Yun Ling and Pavanello, Sofia and Demerath, Ellen W. and Rode, Line and Bunout, Daniel and Steptoe, Andrew and Boardman, Lisa and Marti, Amelia and Needham, Belinda and Zheng, Wei and Ramsey-Goldman, Rosalind and Pellatt, Andrew J. and Kaprio, Jaakko and Hofmann, Jonathan N. and Gieger, Christian and Paolisso, Giuseppe and Hjelmborg, Jacob B.H. and Mirabello, Lisa and Seeman, Teresa and Wong, Jason and Van Der Harst, Pim and Broer, Linda and Kronenberg, Florian and Kollerits, Barbara and Strandberg, Timo and Sundquist, Kristina and Zeegers, Maurice P.}},
  issn         = {{0002-9165}},
  keywords     = {{BMI; Low-grade inflammation; Meta-analysis; Obesity; Observational studies; Telomere length}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{453--475}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{American Journal of Clinical Nutrition}},
  title        = {{Body mass index is negatively associated with telomere length : A collaborative cross-sectional meta-analysis of 87 observational studies}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy107}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/ajcn/nqy107}},
  volume       = {{108}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}