2016-11-27 12:02:53
A short average length of telomeres is associated with the appearance of diseases of aging.
Differential aging is based on the fact that not all our organs seem to age at the same rate, and some, for whatever reason, age before others. Obviously, our longevity as individuals depends on the viability of our oldest vital organ. When it is too old to function properly, death ensues.
One way to assess the age of cells is to measure the length of the telomeres on their chromosomes. Telomeres (a word derived from the Greek meaning “part at the end”) are located at the ends of chromosomes and are made up of several repetitions of the “letters” necessary to maintain the integrity of the chromosomes, which can even fuse with each other if the telomeres are too short.
When a cell reproduces and must therefore duplicate the chromosomes, the telomeres shorten, that is, they reduce the number of their repetitions. In this way, if we measure the average length of the telomeres of a cell population, we can estimate the number of divisions undergone by the cells – which is related to their actual age of the person they belong to.
Researchers from several Canadian and American universities study the cumulative effect of negative factors throughout life in 4,598 retired people, who have suffered vicissitudes in their lives, but obviously not so serious that they have caused their death. These adversities included both those typical of childhood (parents who were drug addicts, or without work, or physical abuse, for example), as well as others typical of adulthood, such as the death of a child or a partner.
Researchers find a clear relationship between life adversities and shorter telomere length, with the effects of childhood adversities being more important. This study confirms previous ones, in particular the one carried out with disadvantaged children, and indicates that the adversities suffered in childhood cast a long shadow on cellular aging throughout life.
More information on Jorge Laborda’s Blog. Old age due to stress
Reference:
Eli Puterman, et al. Lifespan adversity and later adulthood telomere length in the nationally representative US Health and Retirement Study. www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1525602113
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