title: Rate of telomere shortening and cardiovascular damage: a longitudinal study in the 1946 British Birth Cohort.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cross-sectional studies reported associations between short leucocyte telomere length (LTL) and measures of vascular and cardiac damage. However, the contribution of LTL dynamics to the age-related process of cardiovascular (CV) remodelling remains unknown. In this study, we explored whether the rate of LTL shortening can predict CV phenotypes over 10-year follow-up and the influence of established CV risk factors on this relationship.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the participants from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD) with measures of LTL and traditional CV risk factors at 53 and 60-64 years and common carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), cardiac mass and left ventricular function at 60-64 years were included. LTL was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction and available at both time points in 1033 individuals. While LTL at 53 years was not linked with any CV phenotype at 60-64 years, a negative association was found between LTL and cIMT at 60-64 years (β = -0.017, P = 0.015). However, the strongest association was found between rate of telomere shortening between 53 and 60-64 years and values of cIMT at 60-64 years (β = -0.020, P = 0.006). This association was not affected by adjustment for traditional CV risk factors. Cardiac measurements were not associated with cross-sectional or longitudinal measures of LTL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that the rate of progression of cellular ageing in late midlife (reflected by the rate of LTL attrition) relates to vascular damage, independently from contribution of CV risk factor exposure.
authors: Vascular Physiology Unit, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK King's College Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Masi
authors: Periodontology Unit, Eastman Dental Institute, University College of London, London, UK.
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: D'Aiuto
authors: Institute of Aging and Health, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors: Carmen
authors: C
authors: Martin-Ruiz
authors: Vascular Physiology Unit, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK.
authors: Tauseef
authors: T
authors: Kahn
authors: MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, UK.
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Wong
authors: MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, UK.
authors: Arjun K
authors: AK
authors: Ghosh
authors: Division of Population Health Sciences and Education, St George's University of London, London, UK.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Whincup
authors: MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, UK.
authors: Diana
authors: D
authors: Kuh
authors: National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College Academic Health Sciences Centre, London, UK.
authors: Alan
authors: A
authors: Hughes
authors: Institute of Aging and Health, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: von Zglinicki
authors: MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, UK.
authors: Rebecca
authors: R
authors: Hardy
authors: Vascular Physiology Unit, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK National Centre for Cardiovascular Prevention and Outcomes, University College London, 170 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7HA London, UK j.deanfield@ucl.ac.uk.
authors: John Eric
authors: JE
authors: Deanfield
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000502:physiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000502:physiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D012307:Risk Factors; D059506:Telomere Shortening / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Ageing; Cardiovascular diseases; Carotid artery; Telomeres shortening