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Published on: November 20, 2015
Clinical and molecular evidence of accelerated ageing following very preterm birth
James R C Parkinson1,2, Robby Emsley3, Jane L Tarry Adkins4
1Section of Neonatal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Chelsea and Westminster Campus, Imperial College London, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK. j.parkinson@westminster.ac.uk.
Insights
Very preterm birth is linked to accelerated aging in young adults, showing higher blood pressure and shorter telomeres. These findings suggest a need for early cardiovascular and metabolic health monitoring in this population.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Metabolic Health
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Very preterm birth (<33 weeks gestational age) is associated with increased cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk later in life.
- The underlying mechanisms for this association remain largely unknown.
- This study investigates early clinical and molecular differences in young adults born very preterm versus full-term.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the clinical and molecular phenotypes of healthy young adults born very preterm and at full-term.
- To identify potential early markers of accelerated aging and cardiovascular/metabolic risk.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 156 healthy young adults (18-27 years): 69 born very preterm and 87 at full-term.
- Utilized whole-body MRI, hepatic and muscle 1H Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), blood pressure measurements, and telomere length analysis.
- Compared clinical and molecular data between the two groups.
Main Results:
- Individuals born very preterm exhibited significantly higher systolic blood pressure compared to full-term controls.
- Preterm men showed shorter telomere length and a higher proportion of short telomeres.
- No significant differences were reported for other clinical and molecular outcomes in this cohort.
Conclusions:
- Healthy young adults born very preterm display clinical and molecular indicators of accelerated aging.
- These findings highlight the potential for early-life factors to influence long-term health trajectories.
- Further research is warranted to understand the long-term cardiovascular and metabolic implications.
Background:
The mechanisms responsible for the associations between very preterm birth and a higher risk of poor cardiovascular and metabolic health in adult life are unknown.
Methods:
Here, we compare the clinical and molecular phenotypes of healthy, normal-weight young adults (18-27 years), born very preterm (<33 weeks gestational age (GA)) and at full-term (37-42 weeks GA). Outcomes included whole-body MRI, hepatic and muscle 1H MRS, blood pressure measurements and telomere length.
Results:
We recruited 156 volunteers, 69 preterm (45 women; 24 men) and 87 born at full-term (45 women; 42 men). Preterm individuals had a significantly altered blood pressure profile, including higher systolic blood pressure (SBP mmHg: preterm men 133.4 ± 10.1, term men 23.0 ± 6.9; preterm women 124.3 ± 7.1, term women 118.4 ± 8.0, p < 0.01 for all). Furthermore, preterm men had fewer long telomeres (145-48.5 kb: preterm men 14.1 ± 0.9%, term men 17.8 ± 1.1%, p < 0.05; 48.5-8.6 kb: preterm men 28.2 ± 2.6, term men 37.0 ± 2.4%, p < 0.001) and a higher proportion of shorter telomeres (4.2-1.3 kb: preterm men 40.4 ± 3.5%, term men 29.9 ± 3.2%, p < 0.01).
Conclusion:
Our data indicate that healthy young adults born very preterm manifest clinical and molecular evidence of accelerated ageing.
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