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Updated: May 9, 2026
Monochrome Multiplex Quantitative PCR Telomere Length Measurement
Published on: March 22, 2024
Leukocyte telomere length and coronary artery calcification in Palestinians
Jeremy D Kark1, Hisham Nassar, Dorith Shaham
1Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel. jeremy1@vms.huji.ac.il
Insights
Shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is linked to more coronary artery calcification (CAC) in urban Palestinians. This suggests LTL may indicate atherosclerosis risk in this high-risk population.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology
- Genetics and Aging Research
- Public Health
Background:
- Shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a known risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) and mortality.
- Coronary artery calcification (CAC) quantifies the cumulative burden of atherosclerosis.
- Palestinians in urban areas face a high risk of CHD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between LTL and CAC in an urban Palestinian population.
- To assess LTL as a potential biomarker for subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 250 East Jerusalem residents (men 45-76, women 55-76) without prior CHD or stroke.
- Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) measured by Southern blots.
- Coronary artery calcification (CAC) assessed using CT scans; multivariable logistic modeling applied.
Main Results:
- CAC was prevalent (65% men, 52% women) and strongly associated with age.
- Lower LTL tertiles were significantly associated with higher odds of CAC >100 (ORs 2.92 and 2.29) and upper tertile CAC scores.
- These associations remained significant after adjusting for risk factors and excluding patients with diabetes or on statins.
Conclusions:
- Shorter LTL is associated with increased prevalence of asymptomatic coronary atherosclerosis in urban Palestinians.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the biological mechanisms linking LTL and atherosclerosis in this population.
Objective:
Shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is associated with higher incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and increased mortality. We examined the association of LTL with coronary artery calcification (CAC), which reflects the cumulative burden of coronary atherosclerosis, in an urban Arab sample of Palestinians, a population at high risk of CHD.
Methods:
Using a cross-sectional design, a random sample of East Jerusalem residents, comprising 250 men aged 45-77 and women aged 55-76 and free of CHD or past stroke, was drawn from the Israel national population register. LTL was measured by Southern blots. CAC was determined by 16-slice multidetector helical CT scanning using Agatston scoring. We applied multivariable logistic modeling to examine the association between sex-specific tertiles of LTL and CAC (comparing scores >100 vs. <100, and the upper third vs. the lower 2 thirds), controlling for age, sex, education and coronary risk factors.
Results:
CAC, evident in 65% of men and 52% of women, was strongly associated with age (sex-adjusted Spearman's rho 0.495). The multivariable-adjusted odds ratios for CAC >100 (found in 30% of men and 29% of women) were 2.92 (95% CI 1.28-6.68) and 2.29 (0.99-5.30) for the lower and mid-tertiles of LTL vs. the upper tertile, respectively (Ptrend = 0.008). Findings were similar for CAC scores in the upper tertile (Ptrend = 0.006), and persisted after the exclusion of patients with diabetes or receiving statins.
Conclusions:
Shorter LTL was associated with a greater prevalence of asymptomatic coronary atherosclerosis in an urban Arab population-based sample. Mechanisms underlying this association should be sought.
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