Childhood Obesity Is Associated with Shorter Leukocyte Telomere Length

Abstract

The average leukocyte telomere length of obese children is 23.9% shorter than that of normal weight children of a similar age.

Abstract

Context:

Obesity in adults is associated with shorter mean leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a marker of biological age that is also associated with age-related conditions including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. However, studies of childhood obesity and LTL have proved inconclusive.

Objective:

The objective of the study was to clarify the relationship between telomere length and childhood obesity by measuring the average LTL in a large case-control cohort.

Participants and Methods:

LTL was measured in 793 French children aged 2–17 yr (471 with early onset obesity and 322 nonobese controls) using multiplex quantitative real-time PCR. The average LTL in the two groups was compared, and the relationships between telomere length and selected anthropometric and biochemical measurements were examined.

Results:

Obese children had a mean LTL that was 23.9% shorter than that of nonobese children ( P < 0.0001). Telomere length was inversely associated with age (R = −0.17, P = 0.002 in controls; R = −0.15, P = 0.001 in cases), log weight (R= −0.13, P = 0.017 in controls; R = −0.16, P = 0.0004 in cases), and height (R = −0.15, P = 0.008 in controls; R = −0.17, P = 0.0002 in cases). The mean LTL of girls and boys was not significantly different in either the cases or controls or in the group overall.

Conclusion:

Obese girls and boys have significantly shorter leukocyte telomeres than their nonobese counterparts, a finding that highlights a potentially deleterious impact of early onset obesity on future health.