Telomere length and appendicular lean mass over six years in older adults with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome : a prospective cohort study
(2026) In GeroScience- Abstract
Telomere length (TL) has been proposed as a marker of appendicular lean mass (ALM) decline; however, longitudinal evidence remains limited. We aimed to investigate the longitudinal association between TL and 6-year trajectories of ALM. This longitudinal study included 185 older adults aged 55–75 years with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome at baseline. Baseline TL was assessed using a monochrome multiplex real-time quantitative PCR. ALM from the four limbs was obtained at baseline, and after 1, 3, and 6 years of follow-up using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. ALM was also normalized for height, total body weight, or body mass index (BMI). Baseline longer TL in continuous was associated with higher ALM (between-group... (More)
Telomere length (TL) has been proposed as a marker of appendicular lean mass (ALM) decline; however, longitudinal evidence remains limited. We aimed to investigate the longitudinal association between TL and 6-year trajectories of ALM. This longitudinal study included 185 older adults aged 55–75 years with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome at baseline. Baseline TL was assessed using a monochrome multiplex real-time quantitative PCR. ALM from the four limbs was obtained at baseline, and after 1, 3, and 6 years of follow-up using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. ALM was also normalized for height, total body weight, or body mass index (BMI). Baseline longer TL in continuous was associated with higher ALM (between-group difference, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.12 to 1.40) and greater lean mass in the lower limbs (between-group difference, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.97), ALM to height ratio (between-group difference, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.41), and higher ALM to BMI ratio (between-group difference, 0.02; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.04) after 6 years. When analyzed categorically, participants with baseline TL above the median exhibited higher ALM (between-group difference, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.04 to 1.20) and greater lean mass in the lower limbs (between-group difference, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.92) and higher ALM to BMI ratio (between-group difference, 0.02; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.04) compared with those below the median after 6 years. Longer baseline TL was modestly associated with more favorable long-term ALM trajectories in older adults with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome, although these observational findings preclude causal inference and should not be interpreted as evidence that telomere biology directly contributes to muscle aging.
(Less)
- author
- Vázquez-Lorente, Héctor ; de la Puente, María Fernández ; Plaza-Diaz, Julio ; Babio, Nancy ; Fitó, Montse ; Martínez-González, Miguel Ángel ; García-Calzón, Sonia LU ; del Moral, Amelia Marti and Salas-Salvadó, Jordi
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- in press
- subject
- keywords
- Ageing, Appendicular lean mass, Older adults, Telomeres
- in
- GeroScience
- publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:42322548
- scopus:105042332543
- ISSN
- 2509-2715
- DOI
- 10.1007/s11357-026-02366-w
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 6a2e4841-3fec-401d-89e7-dbfd68ff1fad
- date added to LUP
- 2026-09-17 15:54:53
- date last changed
- 2026-09-18 03:00:03
@article{6a2e4841-3fec-401d-89e7-dbfd68ff1fad,
abstract = {{<p>Telomere length (TL) has been proposed as a marker of appendicular lean mass (ALM) decline; however, longitudinal evidence remains limited. We aimed to investigate the longitudinal association between TL and 6-year trajectories of ALM. This longitudinal study included 185 older adults aged 55–75 years with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome at baseline. Baseline TL was assessed using a monochrome multiplex real-time quantitative PCR. ALM from the four limbs was obtained at baseline, and after 1, 3, and 6 years of follow-up using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. ALM was also normalized for height, total body weight, or body mass index (BMI). Baseline longer TL in continuous was associated with higher ALM (between-group difference, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.12 to 1.40) and greater lean mass in the lower limbs (between-group difference, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.97), ALM to height ratio (between-group difference, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.41), and higher ALM to BMI ratio (between-group difference, 0.02; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.04) after 6 years. When analyzed categorically, participants with baseline TL above the median exhibited higher ALM (between-group difference, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.04 to 1.20) and greater lean mass in the lower limbs (between-group difference, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.92) and higher ALM to BMI ratio (between-group difference, 0.02; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.04) compared with those below the median after 6 years. Longer baseline TL was modestly associated with more favorable long-term ALM trajectories in older adults with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome, although these observational findings preclude causal inference and should not be interpreted as evidence that telomere biology directly contributes to muscle aging.</p>}},
author = {{Vázquez-Lorente, Héctor and de la Puente, María Fernández and Plaza-Diaz, Julio and Babio, Nancy and Fitó, Montse and Martínez-González, Miguel Ángel and García-Calzón, Sonia and del Moral, Amelia Marti and Salas-Salvadó, Jordi}},
issn = {{2509-2715}},
keywords = {{Ageing; Appendicular lean mass; Older adults; Telomeres}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Springer Science and Business Media B.V.}},
series = {{GeroScience}},
title = {{Telomere length and appendicular lean mass over six years in older adults with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome : a prospective cohort study}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11357-026-02366-w}},
doi = {{10.1007/s11357-026-02366-w}},
year = {{2026}},
}