title: Telomere length and outcomes in ischaemic heart failure: data from the COntrolled ROsuvastatin multiNAtional Trial in Heart Failure (CORONA).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Leucocyte telomere length is considered a marker of biological ageing and has been suggested to be shorter in patients with CAD and heart failure compared with healthy controls. The aim of this study was to determine whether telomere length is associated with clinical outcomes in patients with ischaemic heart failure and whether this association is superior to chronological age as defined by date of birth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We measured leucocyte telomere length in 3275 patients with chronic ischaemic systolic heart failure participating in the COntrolled ROsuvastatin multiNAtional Trial in Heart Failure (CORONA) study. The primary composite endpoint was cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke, which occurred in 575 patients during follow-up. We observed a significant association of leucocyte telomere lengths with the primary endpoint (hazard ratio 1.10; 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.20; P=0.03). However, this observation was not superior to age as defined by date of birth. The neutral effect of rosuvastatin treatment on clinical outcomes was not modified by baseline telomere length.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biological age as defined by leucocyte telomere length was associated with clinical outcomes in patients with ischaemic heart failure, but this association did not add prognostic information above age as defined by date of birth.
authors: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Cardiology, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Vincent G
authors: VG
authors: Haver
authors: Irene
authors: I
authors: Mateo Leach
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Kjekshus
authors: Jayne C
authors: JC
authors: Fox
authors: Hans
authors: H
authors: Wedel
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Wikstrand
authors: Rudolf A
authors: RA
authors: de Boer
authors: Wiek H
authors: WH
authors: van Gilst
authors: John J V
authors: JJ
authors: McMurray
authors: Dirk J
authors: DJ
authors: van Veldhuisen
authors: Pim
authors: P
authors: van der Harst
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D015415:Biomarkers; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016615:Telomere
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium
keywords: Ageing; Healthy ageing; Heart failure; Leucocyte telomere length