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Associated conditions

Shorter telomeres have been associated with cardiovascular disease, inflammatory disorders, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cognitive decline, and other chronic degenerative conditions associated with aging.

  • Neurological conditions such as cognitive impairment, chronic stress 10, 11
  • Metabolic disorders such as diabetes, glucose intolerance, obesity 12, 13
  • Cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease 14-16
  • Musculoskeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis 17, 18
  • Immune-related conditions such as Hepatitis C, cancer, autoimmune disorders 19-21

Inflammation, aging, and its association with telomeres

Inflammation is associated with aging and telomere shortening. Telomeres become shorter after each cell division until eventually chromosomal DNA reaches a critical point at which the cell can no longer divide (known as the Hayflick limit).22 The loss of this protective telomere “armor” renders DNA vulnerable to damage and may result in an individual’s increased risk for accelerated aging and associated health conditions. If telomeres are maintained, then termination of cell division (senescence) and programmed cell death (apoptosis) can be delayed.

The test analyzes your average telomere length in white blood cells compared to the normal reference range for your age-matched population.

Test results

Easy to understand color-coded test results compare telomere length to reference ranges of your age-matched population. Graphic version of the result allows for easier understanding and analysis.

About our lab

Cell Science Systems, Corp. is a specialty clinical laboratory that develops and performs laboratory testing in immunology and cell biology supporting the personalized treatment and prevention of chronic disease. Cell Science Systems, Corp. operates a CLIA certified laboratory and is an FDA inspected and registered, cGMP medical device manufacturer meeting ISO EN13485 2012 standards. 3, 17-19

Committed to quality

Cell Science Systems fulfills high quality standards in accordance with state, federal and international regulations.

  • CLIA-ID#10D0283906
  • CE Marked. TUV Certified and safety monitored
  • Supported by the EU and the State of Brandenburg
  • ISO 13485:2003 + AC:2012

Literature

1 Cawthon RM, Smith KR, O'Brien E, Sivatchenko A, Kerber RA. Association between telomere length in blood and mortality in people aged 60 years or older. Lancet. 2003 Feb 1;361(9355):393-5.

2 Von Zglinikci T et al. Telomeres as biomarkers for ageing and age-related diseases. Curr. Mol. Med. 2005. 5(2):197-203.

3 Garcia CK, Wright WE, Shay JW. Human diseases of telomerase dysfunction: insights into tissue aging. Nucleic. Acid Res. 2007. 35(22):7406-7416.

4 Epel ES, Merkin SS, Cawthon R, Blackburn EH, Adler NE, Pletcher MJ, Seeman TE. The rate of leukocyte telomere shortening predicts mortality from cardiovascular disease in elderly men. Aging. 2009. 1(1):81-88.

5 Donate LE, Blasco MA.Telomeres in cancer and ageing. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. 2011. B 366,76-84.

6 Njajou OT, Cawthon RM, Blackburn EH, Harris TB, Li R, Sanders JL, Newman AB, Nalls M, Cummings SR, Hsueh WC. Shorter telomeres are associated with obesity and weight gain in the elderly. Int J Obes (Lond). 2011.

7 Ahmed A, Tollefsbol T. Telomeres and telomerase: basic science implications for aging. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2001 Aug;49(8):1105-9.

8 von Zglinicki T. Oxidative stress shortens telomeres. Trends Biochem Sci. 2002 Jul;27(7):339-44.

9 Lin J, Epel E, Blackburn E. Telomeres and lifestyle factors: roles in cellular aging. Mutat Res. 2012 Feb 1;730(1-2):85-9.

10 Panossian LA, Porter VR, Valenzuela HF, Zhu X, Reback E, Masterman D, Cummings JL, Effros RB. Telomere shortening in T cells correlates with Alzheimer´s disease status. Neurobiol. Aging 2003. 24(1):77-84.

11 Simon NM, Smoller JW, McNamara KL, Maser RS, Zalta AK, Pollack MH, Nierenberg AA, Fava M, Wong KK. Telomere shortening and mood disorders: preliminary support for a chronic stress model of accelerated aging. Biol. Psychiatry 2006. 60(5):432-435.

12 Kuhlow D, Florian S, von Figura G, Weimer S, Schulz N, Petzke KJ, Zarse K, Pfeiffer AF, Rudolph KL, Ristow M. Telomerase deficiency impairs glucose metabolism and insulin secretion. Aging (Albany NY). 2010. 2(10):650-8.

13 Lee M, Martin H, Firpo MA, Demerath EW.Inverse association between adiposity and telomere length: The Fels longitudinal study. Am J Hum Biol. 2011 Jan-Feb;23(1):100-6.

14 Samani NJ, van der Harst P. Biological ageing and cardiovascular disease. Heart 2008. 94(5):537-539.

15 Willeit P, Willeit J, Brandstätter A, Ehrlenbach S, Mayr A, Gasperi A, Weger S, Oberhollenzer F, Reindl M, Kronenberg F, Kiechl S. Cellular aging reflected by leukocyte telomere length predicts advanced atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease risk. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2010. 30(8):1649-56.

16 Wang YY, Chen AF, Wang HZ, Xie LY, Sui KX, Zhang QY. Association of shorter mean telomere length with large artery stiffness in patients with coronary heart disease. Aging Male. 2011.14(1):27-32.

17 Tang NL, Woo J, Suen EW, Liao CD, Leung JC, Leung PC. The effect of telomere length, a marker of biological aging, on bone mineral density in elderly population. Osteoporos Int. 2010. 21(1):89-97.

18 Harbo M, Bendix L, Bay-Jensen AC, Graakjaer J, Søe K, Andersen TL, Kjaersgaard-Andersen P, Koelvraa S, Delaisse JM.The distribution pattern of critically short telomeres in human osteoarthritic knees. Arthritis Res Ther.2012.18;14(1):R12.

19 Svenson U, Nordfjäll K, Stegmayr B, Manjer J, Nilsson P, Tavelin B, Henriksson R, Lenner P, Roos G. Breast cancer survival is associated with telomere length in peripheral blood cells. Cancer Res. 2008. 68(10):3618-3623.

20 Hoare M, Gelson WT, Das A, Fletcher JM, Davies SE, Curran MD, Vowler SL, Maini MK, Akbar AN, Alexander GJ. CD4+ T- lymphocyte telomere length is related to fibrosis stage, clinical outcome and treatment response in chronic hepatitis C virus infection. J Hepatol. 2010. 53(2):252-60.

21 Georgin-Lavialle S, Aouba A, Mouthon L, Londono-Vallejo JA, Lepelletier Y, Gabet AS, Hermine O. The telomere/telomerase system in autoimmune and systemic immune-mediated diseases. Autoimmun Rev. 2010 Aug;9(10):646-51.

22 Campisi J, d'Adda di Fagagna F. Cellular senescence: when bad things happen to good cells. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2007 Sep;8(9):729-40.