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Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence
Published on: May 22, 2013
Telomere length as a potential biomarker of coronary artery disease
Joyeeta Bhattacharyya1, Keichiro Mihara2, Deborshi Bhattacharjee1
1Department of Cardiac Research, Cumballa Hill Hospital & Heart Institute, Mumbai, India.
Insights
Shortening of telomeres may serve as a novel biomarker for predicting coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. Further research is needed to standardize telomere length evaluation for preventive cardiology applications.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Genetics
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a significant global health issue, particularly in developing nations.
- Both genetic and lifestyle factors contribute to CAD development.
- While medical and surgical interventions for CAD are advanced, prevention remains a critical focus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential of telomere shortening as a biomarker for coronary artery disease (CAD) risk.
- To highlight the need for new biomarkers to enhance CAD prevention strategies.
- To review existing clinical evidence supporting telomere shortening in CAD.
Main Methods:
- Review of clinical research evidence on telomere length and CAD.
- Discussion of the utility of telomere shortening as a predictive biomarker.
- Exploration of the need for standardized methods for telomere length assessment.
Main Results:
- Clinical research consistently documents telomere shortening in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) across diverse ethnic groups.
- Evidence supports telomere shortening as a potential indicator of CAD risk.
- The association between telomere length and CAD is well-established in scientific literature.
Conclusions:
- Telomere shortening shows promise as a biomarker for predicting coronary artery disease (CAD) risk.
- Standardized and accurate methods for assessing telomere length are crucial for its clinical application in preventive cardiology.
- Further validation is required before routine implementation in clinical practice.
Abstract:
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a multifactorial disease whose prevalence remains unabated especially in developing countries. Both lifestyle factors and genetic predisposition contribute to this disorder. Though notable achievements have been made in the medical, interventional and surgical management of CAD, the need for its prevention is more important. Among other modalities, this calls for defining evidence-based new biomarkers, which on their own or in combination with other known biomarkers may predict the risk of CAD to enable institution of appropriate preventive strategies. In the present communication, we have discussed the usefulness of shortening of telomeres as a potential biomarker of CAD. Clinical research evidence in favour of telomere shortening in CAD is well documented in different ethnic populations of the world. Establishing a well-standardized and accurate method of evaluating telomere length is essential before its routine use in preventive cardiology.
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