No association between blood telomere length and longitudinally assessed diet or adiposity in a young adult Filipino population.
OBJECTIVE
Telomeres, DNA-protein structures that cap and protect chromosomes, are thought to shorten more rapidly when exposed to chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Diet and nutritional status may be a source of inflammation and oxidative stress. However, relationships between telomere length (TL) and diet or adiposity have primarily been studied cross-sectionally among older, overweight/obese populations and yielded inconsistent results. Little is known about the relationship between diet or body composition and TL among younger, low- to normal-weight populations. It also remains unclear how cumulative exposure to a specific diet or body composition during the years of growth and development, when telomere attrition is most rapid, may be related to TL in adulthood.


METHODS
In a sample of 1459 young adult Filipinos, we assessed the relationship between blood TL at ages 20.8-22.5 and measures of BMI z-score, waist circumference, and diet collected between the ages of 8.5 and 22.5. TL was measured using monochrome multiplex quantitative PCR, and diet was measured using multiple 24-h recalls.


RESULTS
We found no associations between blood TL and any of the measures of adiposity or between blood TL and the seven dietary factors examined: processed meats, fried/grilled meats and fish, non-fried fish, coconut oil, fruits and vegetables, bread and bread products, and sugar-sweetened beverages.


CONCLUSIONS
Considering the inconsistencies in the literature and our null results, small differences in body composition and consumption of any single pro- or anti-inflammatory dietary component may not by themselves have a meaningful impact on telomere integrity, or the impact may differ across distinct ecological circumstances.
Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. hilaryjb@u.washington.edu.|Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. hilaryjb@u.washington.edu.
Hilary J
HJ
Bethancourt
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.|Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.|Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Mario
M
Kratz
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.|Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
Shirley A A
SAA
Beresford
Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.|Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.|Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
M Geoffrey
MG
Hayes
Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.|Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
Christopher W
CW
Kuzawa
Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines.
Paulita L
PL
Duazo
Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines.|Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines.
Judith B
JB
Borja
Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.|Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Daniel T A
DTA
Eisenberg
D050154:Adiposity / Q000235:genetics*; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D010679:Philippines; D012424:Rural Population; D016615:Telomere / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013851:Thinness / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D014505:Urban Population; D055105:Waist Circumference; D055815:Young Adult
Adiposity; Diet; Nutrition; Nutrition transition; Telomere length