Key points from article :
A new study suggests that people with shorter telomeres—the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes—may have a higher risk of developing stroke, dementia, and late-life depression. Telomeres naturally shorten with age, and this process is influenced by genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors. The study, which analysed data from over 356,000 participants in the UK Biobank, found that individuals with the shortest telomeres had an 8% higher risk of stroke, a 19% higher risk of dementia, and a 14% higher risk of late-life depression compared to those with longer telomeres.
Despite these findings, researchers did not establish a direct causal link between telomere length and these diseases. Instead, telomere length appears to act as a marker of biological ageing and cellular stress. Interestingly, among people with healthier lifestyles—measured using a "Brain Care Score"—short telomeres were not associated with an increased risk of brain diseases. This suggests that adopting healthy habits, such as good nutrition, exercise, and stress management, may help counteract the negative effects of ageing on the brain.
The study highlights the potential for using telomere length as a biomarker for identifying individuals at higher risk of age-related brain diseases. However, researchers caution that more studies are needed before telomere measurements can be used in clinical practice. Instead of focusing on therapies to modify telomere length, they suggest that promoting healthy lifestyle choices may be a more effective strategy for reducing the risk of stroke, dementia, and late-life depression.
