Mixed
Telomere length is a valid biological age predictor that correlates with mortality, particularly for cancer and cardiovascular disease, and is independent of epigenetic clocks, though its predictive power varies by cancer type and sex.
Telomere length is a useful marker for cardiovascular and specific cancer risks, but it is not a magic bullet for overall cancer prevention. Women naturally have longer telomeres, which may contribute to longevity. While you cannot directly 'lengthen' telomeres safely with current supplements, maintaining cardiovascular health and avoiding smoking may support telomere integrity. It is one piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture.
Unlike the epigenetic clock, telomere length seems to work equally well for cancer and cardiovascular mortality predictions, and as alluded to above, the effect is independent of the epigenetic clock.
Why this rating
Large cohort studies (n=64,637) support mortality links, but meta-analyses show mixed results for cancer risk, and technical biases in measurement are noted.
Source
Biological Age Predictors
Juulia Jylhävä et al. · EBioMedicine · 2017
DOI 10.1016/j.ebiom.2017.03.046
More from this paper
- Epigenetic clocks (DNAmAge) are currently the most robust biological age predictors, strongly correlating with chronological age and independently predicting all-cause mortality, cancer mortality, and various aging phenotypes such as frailty and cognitive decline.Good
- Composite biomarker predictors, which combine multiple clinical and biochemical markers (e.g., CRP, creatinine, blood pressure), are effective biological age predictors that correlate with mortality, physical function, and cognitive decline, often outperforming single biomarkers like telomere length.Moderate
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