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Very Low and High Levels of Vitamin D Are Associated with Shorter Leukocyte Telomere Length in 148,321 UK Biobank Participants
oleh: Chia-Ling Kuo, Ben Kirk, Meiruo Xiang, Luke C. Pilling, George A. Kuchel, Richard Kremer, Gustavo Duque
| Format: | Article |
|---|---|
| Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2023-03-01 |
Deskripsi
<b>Background:</b> Shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is observed in multiple age-related diseases, which are also associated with vitamin D deficiency (i.e., osteosarcopenia, neurocognitive disorders, cancer, osteoarthritis, etc.), suggesting a close association between vitamin D and LTL. In this study, we examined the relationship between vitamin D levels and LTL in older participants of the UK Biobank. <b>Methods:</b> Data were collected from the UK Biobank. Participants aged 60 and older (<i>n</i> = 148,321) were included. Baseline LTL was measured using a multiplex qPCR technique and expressed as the ratio of the telomere amplification product (T) to that of a single-copy gene (S) (T/S ratio). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) was stratified by z score and linked to LTL in a linear regression model adjusting for covariates. <b>Results:</b> Compared to the medium level, a low (in the range of 16.6 nmol/L, 29.7 nmol/L) or extremely low (≤16.6 nmol/L) level of serum 25OHD was associated with shorter LTL: 0.018 SD (standardized β = −0.018, 95% CI −0.033 to −0.003, <i>p</i> = 0.022) and 0.048 SD (standardized β = −0.048, 95% CI −0.083 to −0.014, <i>p</i> = 0.006), respectively. Additionally, the high serum 25OHD groups (>95.9 nmol/L) had 0.038 SD (standardized β = −0.038, 95% CI −0.072 to −0.004, <i>p</i> = 0.030) shorter mean LTL than the group with medium 25OHD levels. The associations above were adjusted for multiple variables. <b>Conclusions:</b> In this population-based study, we identified an inverted U-shape relationship between LTL and vitamin D status. Our findings could be affected by unmeasured confounders. Whether high or low vitamin D-associated shorter LTL is mechanistically related to age-related conditions remains to be elucidated.