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Updated: Jun 30, 2025
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Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence
Published on: May 22, 2013
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Telomere length as biomarker of nutritional therapy for prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus development in
Ana Ojeda-Rodriguez1,2,3,4, Oriol A Rangel-Zuñiga1,2,3,4, Antonio P Arenas-de Larriva1,2,3,4
1Lipids and Atherosclerosis Unit, Internal Medicine Unit, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Cordoba, 14004, Spain.
Cardiovascular Diabetology
|March 17, 2024
Summary
Shorter telomere length (TL) increases type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk in coronary heart disease patients. A Mediterranean diet, unlike a low-fat diet, may mitigate this risk, suggesting dietary patterns are crucial for T2DM prevention.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Telomere length (TL) is a marker of cellular aging and a potential biomarker for diabetes.
- Investigating TL's role in diabetes development is crucial for understanding disease mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess if shorter telomeres correlate with increased type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk in patients with coronary heart disease.
- To determine if Mediterranean or low-fat diets can prevent T2DM in these patients over five years.
Main Methods:
- The CORDIOPREV study was a single-centre, randomized clinical trial involving 1002 patients with coronary heart disease.
- Quantitative-PCR measured TL, and Cox regression analyses examined T2DM incidence in relation to TL and diet.
Main Results:
- Among 462 patients without baseline T2DM, 107 developed it over 60 months.
- Shorter TL (below 20th percentile) was associated with a higher T2DM risk (HR 1.65, p=0.023).
- A low-fat diet exacerbated T2DM risk in those with short TL (HR 2.43, p=0.008), while the Mediterranean diet showed no such association.
Conclusions:
- Shorter telomere length is linked to an elevated risk of developing T2DM.
- The Mediterranean diet may mitigate T2DM development in coronary heart disease patients with shorter telomeres.
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