Context Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) clusters risk factors for age-related conditions including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Shorter telomere length (TL), a cellular marker for biological age, may predict an individual's deteriorating metabolic condition. Objective We examined whether shorter baseline TL is associated with a worse metabolic profile and with less favorable trajectories of MetS components over a six-year follow-up. Design and setting Participants were part of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety, an ongoing prospective cohort study with six years follow-up. Participants This study included 2848 participants aged 18-65 years. Main outcome measures Baseline TL from leukocytes was determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and MetS components (waist circumference, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and fasting glucose) were determined at baseline, and after two and six years. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were adjusted for relevant sociodemographic, lifestyle and health factors. Results Shorter baseline TL was cross-sectionally associated with HDL (β=-0.016, SE=0.008, p=.05), waist circumference (β=0.647, SE=0.238, p=.007), triglycerides (β=0.038, SE=0.009, p<.001), and fasting glucose (β=0.011, SE=0.003, p<.001), as well as with the total number of MetS components (β=0.075, SE=0.023, p=.001) and the presence of MetS (OR=1.19, 95% CI=1.07-1.33; p=.002). Although baseline differences progressively reduced over time, shorter baseline TL was still significantly associated with unfavourable scores of most MetS components at the two- or six-year follow-ups. Conclusions Cellular aging, as assessed by TL, is associated with a higher metabolic risk profile which maintains to be unfavorable even after a period of six years. These findings suggest that cellular aging might play a role in the onset of various aging-related somatic diseases via its effect on metabolic alterations.
PMID: 25188715
