title: Effect of obesity on telomere length: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main objective of this systematic review is to assess the effects of obesity on telomere length.
  
  
  METHODS
  The following databases were searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library), LILACS, SPORTdiscus, and Web of Science from inception to August 2014. The search was performed using the following combinations of terms: telomere AND "overweight" OR "obesity" OR "adiposity," without language restriction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-three original studies were included in this systematic review, comprising 119,439 subjects. Thirty-nine studies showed either weak or moderate correlation between obesity and telomere length; however, they showed an important heterogeneity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a tendency toward demonstrating negative correlation between obesity and telomere length. The selected studies showed weak to moderate correlation for the main search, and there was an important heterogeneity. For this reason, the causal relationship of obesity and telomere length remains open. Additional controlled longitudinal studies are needed to investigate this issue.
authors.affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica Do Rio Grande Do Sul (PUCRS). Departament: Centro Infant, Biomedical Research Institute, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mundstock
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Biology and Pharmacy, Universidade De Santa Cruz Do Sul (UNISC), Santa Cruz, Brazil.
authors.forename: Edgar E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Sarria
authors.affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica Do Rio Grande Do Sul (PUCRS). Departament: Centro Infant, Biomedical Research Institute, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zatti
authors.affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica Do Rio Grande Do Sul (PUCRS). Departament: Centro Infant, Biomedical Research Institute, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mattos Louzada
authors.affiliation: Departmento De Bioquímica, ICBS, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kich Grun
authors.affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica Do Rio Grande Do Sul (PUCRS). Departament: Centro Infant, Biomedical Research Institute, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Herbert Jones
authors.affiliation: Departmento De Bioquímica, ICBS, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fátima T C R
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Guma
authors.affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica Do Rio Grande Do Sul (PUCRS). Departament: Centro Infant, Biomedical Research Institute, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mazzola In Memoriam
authors.affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica Do Rio Grande Do Sul (PUCRS). Departament: Centro Infant, Biomedical Research Institute, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Matias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Epifanio
authors.affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica Do Rio Grande Do Sul (PUCRS). Departament: Centro Infant, Biomedical Research Institute, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renato T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.affiliation: Departmento De Bioquímica, ICBS, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Florencia M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Barbé-Tuana
authors.affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica Do Rio Grande Do Sul (PUCRS). Departament: Centro Infant, Biomedical Research Institute, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mattiello
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000235:genetics; D001835:Body Weight / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D016615:Telomere / Q000378:metabolism*; D059505:Telomere Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology*