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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence
Published on: May 22, 2013
Aging, telomeres and heart failure
Liza S M Wong1, Pim van der Harst, Rudolf A de Boer
1Division of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
During normal aging, the heart undergoes functional, morphological and cellular changes. Although aging per se does not lead to the expression of heart failure, it is likely that age-associated changes lower the threshold for the manifestation of signs and symptoms of heart failure. In patients, the susceptibility, age of onset and pace of progression of heart failure are highly variable. The presence of conventional risk factors cannot completely explain this variability. Accumulation of DNA damage and telomere attrition results in an increase in cellular senescence and apoptosis, resulting in a decrease in the number and function of cells, contributing to the overall tissue and organ dysfunction. Biological aging, characterized by reduced telomere length, provides an explanation for the highly interindividual variable threshold to express the clinical syndrome of heart failure at some stage during life. In this review, we will elaborate on the current knowledge of aging of the heart, telomere biology and its potential role in the development of heart failure.
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