Key points from article :
Study found that one type of epigenetic change called DNA methylation is closely linked to telomere length (TL).
Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is weakly but still significantly correlated to two chronic diseases that primarily affect aging human beings – cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer.
DNA methylation (DNAm) was associated with LTL.
823 CpG regions showed a significant correlation with LTL.
Among these, 88% showed a negative association with higher levels of DNAm corresponding to shorter LTLs.
The most common ten CpGs among the 823 were associated with seven genes which are known to encode many vital processes such as early brain development, protein synthesis, intracellular membrane transport and tumor suppressor activity.
Agrees to previous studies that show that telomerase enzyme expression is a circadian process.
TL is also linked to wound healing, with higher wound healing rates associated with increased telomere length.
Research by the University of California Los Angeles published in Aging.
