Mixed
Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a valid biomarker for estimating biological age and predicting mortality risk, but it is not a standalone clinical risk marker for age-related pathologies due to high inter-individual variability and inconsistent correlations with specific diseases.
Use telomere length as one data point in a broader assessment of biological age, alongside other markers like epigenetic clocks or frailty indices. Do not rely on it alone to diagnose disease risk or predict mortality. Focus on modifiable lifestyle factors (stress management, nutrition, exercise) which are shown to influence telomere dynamics.
Recent research findings, however, indicate that TL per se can only allow a rough estimate of aging rate and can hardly be regarded as a clinically important risk marker for age-related pathologies and mortality. ... TL remains to be very informative marker in accessing the biological age when used along with other markers such as indices of homeostatic dysregulation, frailty index, epigenetic clock, etc.
Why this rating
Based on a comprehensive review of multiple large-scale epidemiological studies and meta-analyses cited in the text.
Source
Telomere Length as a Marker of Biological Age: State-of-the-Art, Open Issues, and Future Perspectives
Alexander Vaiserman et al. · Frontiers in Genetics · 2021
DOI 10.3389/fgene.2020.630186
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