title: Longitudinal association of telomere length and obesity indices in an intervention study with a Mediterranean diet: the PREDIMED-NAVARRA trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures that protect the ends of eukaryote chromosomes. Shorter telomere length (TL) is associated with some age-related human disorders, but its relationship with obesity or adiposity parameters remains unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between TL and changes in adiposity indices after a 5-year nutritional intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  TL was measured by quantitative real-time PCR in 521 subjects (55-80 years, 55% women). Participants were randomly selected from the PREDIMED-NAVARRA centre after they completed a 5-year intervention programme. Anthropometric parameters were directly measured by trained personnel at baseline and on a yearly basis thereafter. TL at baseline and changes in TL after a 5-year intervention were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher baseline TL significantly predicted a greater decrease in body weight (B=-1.09 kg, 95% confidence interval (CI): -2.01 to -0.16), body mass index (BMI) (B=-0.47 kg m(-2), 95% CI: -0.83 to -0.11), waist circumference (B=-1.15 cm, 95% CI: -2.28 to -0.01) and waist to height ratio (B=-0.008, 95% CI: -0.010 to -0.001) in multiple-adjusted models. In addition, changes in TL during the 5-year intervention were inversely associated with changes in the four anthropometric variables. The reduction in adiposity indices during the intervention, associated with increasing TL, was even higher among subjects with the longest telomeres at baseline. Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of remaining obese after 5 years was lower in those participants who initially had the longest telomeres and increased their TL after intervention (odds ratio=0.27, 95% CI: 0.03-2.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our research suggests that TL is inversely associated with changes in obesity parameters. The assessment of TL can provide further insights for biological pathways leading to adiposity. We show for the first time an improvement of obesity indices when an increase in TL is observed after a 5-year Mediterranean diet intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: García-Calzón
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gea
authors.affiliation: Neurogenetics Laboratory, Division of Neurosciences, Centre for Applied Medical Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Razquin
authors.affiliation: 1] CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain [2] Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Corella
authors.affiliation: 1] CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain [2] Department of Nutrition and Bromatology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lamuela-Raventós
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain [2] CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain [2] CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martínez-González
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Genetic, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zalba
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain [2] CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marti
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000235:genetics*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics*; D059505:Telomere Homeostasis / Q000235:genetics; D059506:Telomere Shortening / Q000235:genetics; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers