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Updated: Jun 18, 2026
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Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence
Published on: May 22, 2013
Telomere length and outcome in heart failure
Pim van der Harst1, Rudolf A de Boer, Nilesh J Samani
1Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands. p.van.der.harst@thorax.umcg.nl
Annals of Medicine
|November 28, 2009
Summary
Shorter telomeres indicate a higher risk of death or hospitalization in patients with heart failure. This finding highlights telomere length as a significant prognostic marker for chronic heart failure outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Genetics
- Gerontology
Background:
- Telomeres are linked to cellular senescence, a process implicated in heart failure development and progression.
- While shorter telomeres are observed in heart failure patients, their prognostic significance remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prognostic value of telomere length in patients with chronic heart failure.
- To determine if telomere length predicts adverse outcomes such as death or hospitalization.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to measure telomere length in 890 heart failure patients (NYHA class II-IV).
- The primary endpoint was time to death or hospitalization for heart failure over an 18-month follow-up period.
Main Results:
- Patients with shorter telomeres faced an increased risk of the primary endpoint (HR 1.79).
- This association persisted in multivariate analysis after adjusting for multiple clinical factors (HR 1.74).
Conclusions:
- Shorter telomere length is a significant predictor of death or hospitalization in patients with chronic heart failure.
- Telomere length serves as a valuable prognostic indicator in managing heart failure.
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