Leukocyte telomere length and marital status among middle-aged adults.
BACKGROUND
being unmarried is associated with worse health and increased mortality risk. Telomere length has emerged as a marker for biological ageing but it is unclear how telomere length relates to marital status.


OBJECTIVE
to examine the relationship between telomere length and marital status in a sample of middle-aged adults.


METHODS
cross-sectional analysis among 321 adults aged 40-64 years.


METHODS
telomere length was measured by PCR (T/S ratio). Participants provided information on healthy lifestyle activities including smoking, alcohol use, diet, exercise, obesity as well as social support.


RESULTS
participants married or living with a partner had a mean T/S ratio of 1.70 and those widowed, divorced, separated or never married had a mean T/S ratio of 1.58 in a model adjusted for age, gender and race/ethnicity (P < 0.001). When the analysis was further adjusted for diet, alcohol consumption, exercise, smoking, social support, poverty and obesity, persons married or living with a partner had a higher mean T/S ratio of 1.69 than their unmarried counterparts (1.59) (P = 0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
these results indicate that unmarried individuals have shorter telomeres. This relationship between marital status and telomere length is independent of presumed benefits of marriage such as social support and a healthier lifestyle.
Mainous
Arch G
AG
Medical University of South Carolina, Family Medicine, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. mainouag@musc.edu
Everett
Charles J
CJ
Diaz
Vanessa A
VA
Baker
Richard
R
Mangino
Massimo
M
Codd
Veryan
V
Samani
Nilesh J
NJ
D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000208:ethnology / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D044383:Black People / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008019:Life Style; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D013022:South Carolina; D016615:Telomere / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology; D001741:Black or African American
D015415:Biomarkers
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