title: Multiple measures of adiposity are associated with mean leukocyte telomere length in the northern Finland birth cohort 1966.
abstract: Studies of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and adiposity have produced conflicting results, and the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and telomere length throughout life remains unclear. We therefore tested association of adult LTL measured in 5,598 participants with: i) childhood growth measures (BMI and age at adiposity rebound (AR)); ii) change in BMI from childhood to adulthood and iii) adult BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body adiposity index (BAI). Childhood BMI at AR was positively associated with LTL at 31 years in women (P = 0.041). Adult BMI and WHR in both men (P = 0.025 and P = 0.049, respectively) and women (P = 0.029 and P = 0.008, respectively), and BAI in women (P = 0.021) were inversely associated with LTL at 31 years. An increase in standardised BMI between early childhood and adulthood was associated with shorter adult LTL in women (P = 0.008). We show that LTL is inversely associated with multiple measures of adiposity in both men and women. Additionally, BMI increase in women from childhood to adulthood is associated with shorter telomeres at age 31, potentially indicating accelerated biological ageing.
authors.affiliation: Section of Investigative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Buxton
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Research Council (MRC) Public Health England (PHE) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Shikta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Research Council (MRC) Public Health England (PHE) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Research Council (MRC) Public Health England (PHE) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Marika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaakinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Research Council (MRC) Public Health England (PHE) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alexessander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Couto Alves
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sebert
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Research Council (MRC) Public Health England (PHE) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit (CTSU), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Iona Y
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Millwood
authors.affiliation: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laitinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Research Council (MRC) Public Health England (PHE) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Paul F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Research Council (MRC) Public Health England (PHE) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Department of Children and Young People and Families, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Oulu, Finland; Unit of Primary Care, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Marjo-Riitta
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Jarvelin
authors.affiliation: Section of Investigative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alexandra I F
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Blakemore
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000235:genetics*; D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016615:Telomere