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12:08
Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence
Published on: May 22, 2013
Association between kidney function and telomere length: the heart and soul study
Nisha Bansal1, Mary A Whooley, Mathilda Regan
1Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA. nisha.bansal@ucsf.edu
American Journal of Nephrology
|October 31, 2012
Summary
Reduced kidney function is linked to shorter telomeres and faster telomere shortening in heart disease patients. However, this association is fully explained by older age, suggesting age is a key factor in telomere attrition.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nephrology
- Genetics
- Aging Research
Background:
- Telomere attrition is an emerging risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Research on the relationship between telomere length and kidney function is limited.
- This study investigates the association between kidney function and telomere length/shortening.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the association of kidney function with baseline telomere length.
- To examine the association of kidney function with telomere shortening over time.
- To determine if age confounds the relationship between kidney function and telomere dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 954 patients with stable coronary heart disease.
- Kidney function assessed via serum creatinine, eGFR (CKD-EPI and cystatin C-based), creatinine clearance, and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio.
- Telomere length measured in peripheral blood leukocytes at baseline and after 5 years; analyzed using linear regression.
Main Results:
- Lower baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was associated with shorter telomeres.
- Reduced kidney function predicted more rapid telomere shortening over 5 years.
- After adjusting for age, these associations were no longer statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- Reduced kidney function correlates with shorter telomeres and accelerated telomere shortening in patients with coronary heart disease.
- The observed associations between kidney function and telomere dynamics are entirely attributable to older age.
- Age is a critical factor mediating the relationship between kidney health and telomere length.
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