title: Mediterranean diet, telomere maintenance and health status among elderly.
abstract: Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and rate of telomere shortening are known biomarkers of aging while, numerous studies showed that Mediterranean diet (MD) may boost longevity. We studied association between telomere length, telomerase activity and different adherence to MD and its effects on healthy status. The study was conducted in 217 elderly subjects stratified according Mediterranean diet score (MDS) in low adherence (MDS≤3), medium adherence (MDS 4-5) and high adherence (MDS≥6) groups. LTL was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and telomerase activity by a PCR-ELISA protocol. High adherence group showed longer LTL (p = 0.003) and higher telomerase activity (p = 0.013) compared to others. Linear regression analysis including age, gender, smoking habit and MDS showed that MDS was independently associated with LTL (p = 0.024) and telomerase activity levels (p = 0.006). Telomerase activity was independently associated with LTL (p = 0.007) and negatively modulated by inflammation and oxidative stress. Indeed, telomerase levels were associated with healthy status independently of multiple covariates (p = 0.048). These results support a novel role of MD in promoting health-span suggesting that telomere maintenance, rather than LTL variability is the major determinant of healthy status among elderly.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Surgical, Neurological Metabolic Disease and Geriatric Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors: Virginia
authors: V
authors: Boccardi
authors: Antonietta
authors: A
authors: Esposito
authors: Maria Rosaria
authors: MR
authors: Rizzo
authors: Raffaele
authors: R
authors: Marfella
authors: Michelangela
authors: M
authors: Barbieri
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Paolisso
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D016615:Telomere / Q000378:metabolism*; D059505:Telomere Homeostasis; D044465:White People
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