People with shorter telomeres, or chromosome caps, may be at a greater risk of developing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a study reported. <\/p>\n
This work also provided some interesting genetic evidence to prove that obesity and exposure to tobacco smoking as a fetus might also contribute to the development of the fibrotic [disease], the researchers wrote. Previous studies suggest a link between obesity and\/or smoking and shorter telomeres, they added, noting the associations found here should be confirmed in future studies. <\/p>\n
The study, Genetic association of telomere length, obesity and tobaccosmoking with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis risk, was published in the journal BMC Public Health. <\/p>\n
IPF, a form of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) that lacks a clear underlying cause, is characterized by progressive lung tissue scarring, or fibrosis, leading to shortness of breath and other disease symptoms. It also tends to occur in middle-age and older adults, and telomeres length can be affected by the aging process. <\/p>\n
Telomeres are structures that cap the ends of chromosomes, helping to protect DNA from damage. Abnormally short telomeres have been tied to an higher risk of a variety of conditions, including PF. <\/p>\n
An increasing number of observational studies focused on the potential effects of telomere-associated factors (i.e. tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, and obesity) on the risk of IPF, and provided some interesting findings, the researchers wrote. <\/p>\n
Scientists at institutes in Zhengzhou, China, aimed to validate these reported observations by using genome-wide association studies to explore the genetic effects of telomere length and telomere-associated factors on IPF risk. Genome-wide association studies are those that scan all genes, or the genome, looking for small genetic alterations, called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), that are found more often in people with a particular disease. <\/p>\n
Data collected came from a U.K. biobank with 472,174 participants, with a focus on genetic variants potentially associated with telomere length and the linking of telomere length to certain conditions. IPF data were obtained from a database including 1,812 people in Europe with the disease and 338,784 without it as controls. <\/p>\n
Longer telomere length was found to associate with a reduced risk of IPF, with risk being 52.5% lower for each standard deviation increase in telomere length. This risk was calculated after excluding SNPs linked to obesity and smoking. (Standard deviation or SD is a statistical measure of how much variation there is within a dataset, or how close or far apart data points spread from the mean.) <\/p>\n
Next, they analyzed factors associated with telomere length, including obesity, tobacco smoking, and alcohol drinking. Obesity was determined by a persons body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP), both measures of body fat. <\/p>\n
Higher BMI and BFP values linked with an increased risk of developing IPF. That risk was 42.5% times higher per each SD increase in BMI, and 70.2% per each SD increase in BFP. <\/p>\n
People whose mothers smoked during pregnancy also were at a higher risk of IPF a risk found to be 13.18 times higher per SD increase in the prevalence of maternal smoking. <\/p>\n
These results were consistent with one important medical truism that many organs of the fetus (including the lungs) were at a developmental stage and were susceptible to damage from tobacco, the researchers wrote, and findings warrant further investigation. <\/p>\n
No associations were seen between heavy smoking, smoking initiation, age of smoking initiation, smoking cessation, and the risk of developing IPF. Similarly, heavy drinking did not associate with a higher risk of the disease. <\/p>\n
In conclusion, the present study confirmed the causal association of [telomere length] with the risk of IPF, the researchers wrote. It also demonstrated that factors that might influence the length of telomeres, such as obesity and exposure to tobacco smoking as a fetus might also contribute to the development of [IPF]. <\/p>\n
When exploring the effect of telomere length on one disease, it is important to consider that telomere length decreases progressively with age, so study groups should be of similar ages. A significant age difference between data sets in this study, and that was noted as an important limitation by its authors. <\/p>\n
Therefore, these findings should be verified by future studies, the researchers noted. <\/p>\n
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Original post: People with shorter telomeres, or chromosome caps, may be at a greater risk of developing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a study reported. This work also provided some interesting genetic evidence to prove that obesity and exposure to tobacco smoking as a fetus might also contribute to the development of the fibrotic [disease], the researchers wrote. Continue reading
\nShorter telomeres, protective caps for DNA, seen as potential... - Pulmonary Fibrosis News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"