Shorter telomere length is linked to brain atrophy and white matter hyperintensities. 


Author: Wikgren M, Karlsson T, Söderlund H, Nordin A, Roos G, Nilsson LG, Adolfsson R, Norrback KF.

Affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Psychiatry, Umeå University, Umeå 90187, Sweden. 
Conference/Journal: Age Ageing.
Date published: 2013 Nov 14
Other:
  Word Count: 166  
    

BACKGROUND:

leukocyte telomere length (TL) is considered a marker of biological aging. Several studies have investigated the link between leukocyte TL and aging-associated functional attributes of the brain, but no prior study has investigated whether TL can be linked to brain atrophy and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs); two prominent structural manifestations of brain aging.

METHODS:

we investigated whether leukocyte TL was related to brain atrophy and WMHs in a sample of 102 non-demented individuals aged 64-75 years.

RESULTS:

shorter TL was related to greater degree of subcortical atrophy (β = -0.217, P = 0.034), but not to cortical atrophy. Furthermore, TL was 371 bp shorter (P = 0.041) in participants exhibiting subcortical WMHs, and 552 bp shorter (P = 0.009) in older participants exhibiting periventricular WMHs.

CONCLUSION:

this study provides the first evidence of leukocyte TL being associated with cerebral subcortical atrophy and WMHs, lending further support to the concept of TL as a marker of biological aging, and in particular that of the aging brain.

KEYWORDS:

brain atrophy, older people, telomere length, white matter hyperintensities



PMID: 24231584