Background: telomere attrition has been associated with an increased risk of different age-related diseases and is widely accepted as a marker of cellular ageing. On the other hand, it is well known that cognitive function declines with age. The telomere length may therefore act as a marker for the pathway associated with cognitive function.
Methods: we examined telomere length and cognitive functions in a community-dwelling Chinese male population aged 65 years and above living in Hong Kong. The telomere length was measured by quantitative real-time PCR in 976 men. Cognitive function was assessed by Chinese (Cantonese) version of Mini-Mental State Exam and Community Screening Interview for Dementia.
Results: our result showed there was a significant association between telomere length, delayed recall (P = 0.007) and category verbal fluency (P = 0.048). These associations remained significant after adjustment for age and education. Further analysis using a cut-off score for MMSE, three-item recall and word list generation tests suggested that the telomere length was positively correlated with performance in these areas (P = 0.015).
Conclusion: the findings support the association of telomere length and cognitive function and suggested that the telomere length may serve as a biological marker for cognitive decline.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ageing/aft036 | DOI Listing |
Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is associated with increased mortality and malignancy risk, yet the determinants of clonal expansion remain poorly understood. We performed sequencing at >4,000x depth of coverage for CHIP mutations in 6,986 postmenopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative at two timepoints approximately 15 years apart. Among 3,685 mutations detected at baseline (VAF ≥ 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTelomere biology disorders (TBDs) are inherited conditions associated with multisystem manifestations. We describe clinical and functional characterisation of a novel TERT variant. Whole-genome sequencing was performed along with single length analysis ().
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPsychoneuroendocrinology
January 2025
Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address:
Telomere length (TL) is considered a biomarker of aging, and short TL in leukocytes is related to age and stress-related health problems. Cumulative lifetime stress exposure has also been associated with shorter TL and age-related health problems, but the mechanisms are not well understood. We tested in 108 individuals whether shorter TL in leukocytes is observed in individuals with the GABRA6 TT genotype, which has been associated with dysregulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity (the main biological stress system) compared to the CC genotype.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Math Biol
January 2025
Institut universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France.
We build and study an individual based model of the telomere length's evolution in a population across multiple generations. This model is a continuous time typed branching process, where the type of an individual includes its gamete mean telomere length and its age. We study its Malthusian's behaviour and provide numerical simulations to understand the influence of biologically relevant parameters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
January 2025
Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratory of Computational and Quantitative Biology, LCQB, Paris, France.
Telomere shortening ultimately causes replicative senescence. However, identifying the mechanisms driving replicative senescence in cell populations is challenging due to the heterogeneity of telomere lengths and the asynchrony of senescence onset. Here, we present a mathematical model of telomere shortening and replicative senescence in Saccharomyces cerevisiae which is quantitatively calibrated and validated using data of telomerase-deficient single cells.
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