Patients in the lowest quartile of leukocyte telomere length had a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality compared to those in the highest quartile (adjusted HR 2.1; 95% CI 1.3 to 3.3).
Cohort (n=780)
Does reduced leukocyte telomere length predict all-cause mortality in patients with stable CAD?
Reduced leukocyte telomere length independently predicts all-cause mortality and heart failure hospitalization in patients with stable coronary artery disease.
Effect estimate: HR 2.1 (95% CI 1.3 to 3.3)
BACKGROUND: Telomere shortening has been proposed as a marker of biological aging. Whether leukocyte telomere length is associated with mortality among patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: We measured leukocyte telomere length in 780 patients with stable CAD in a prospective cohort study. Participants were categorized by quartiles of telomere length. Hazard Ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for all-cause mortality, heart failure (HF) hospitalization, and cardiovascular (CV) events. After 4.4 years of follow-up there were 166 deaths. Compared with participants in the highest telomere length quartile, those in the lowest quartile were at increased risk of death (age-adjusted HR 1.8; 95% CI 1.2 to 2.9). After multivariate adjustment for clinical (HR 2.1; CI 1.3 to 3.3), inflammatory (HR 2.0; CI 1.2 to 3.2), and echocardiographic (HR 1.9; CI 1.0 to 3.5) risk factors, patients in the lowest quartile of telomere length remained at significantly increased risk of death compared to those in the highest quartile. Patients in the lowest quartile of telomere length were also at significantly increased risk of HF hospitalization (HR 2.6; CI 1.1 to 6.0) but not CV events (HR 1.7; CI 0.9 to 3.5). CONCLUSIONS: Reduced leukocyte telomere length is associated with all-cause mortality in patients with stable CAD. The prognostic value of short telomeres in predicting death is not completely captured by existing clinical, inflammatory, and echocardiographic markers of risk.
Farzaneh‐Far et al. (Fri,) conducted a cohort in stable coronary artery disease (n=780). Lowest quartile of leukocyte telomere length vs. Highest quartile of leukocyte telomere length was evaluated on all-cause mortality (HR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.3). Patients in the lowest quartile of leukocyte telomere length had a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality compared to those in the highest quartile (adjusted HR 2.1; 95% CI 1.3 to 3.3).