Research

Mixed

In elderly men (aged 70-79), a rapid rate of leukocyte telomere shortening over a 2.5-year period predicts a threefold increase in subsequent 12-year cardiovascular disease mortality, whereas baseline telomere length does not.

For elderly men, monitoring the rate of biological aging (specifically telomere attrition) may be a more useful prognostic indicator for heart disease risk than a single snapshot of telomere length. While this is a biomarker and not an intervention, it suggests that maintaining cellular health and minimizing oxidative stress/inflammation over time is critical for longevity.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
For men, TLC (specifically shortening), but not baseline TL, was related to greater cardiovascular mortality, OR = 3.0 (95% CI: 1.1 – 8.2).
Elissa S. Epel et al. · Aging · 2008

Why this rating

Observational cohort study with a relatively small sample size (n=236) and specific demographic constraints (healthy elderly Caucasian men).

Source

The rate of leukocyte telomere shortening predicts mortality from cardiovascular disease in elderly men: a novel demonstration

Elissa S. Epel et al. · Aging · 2008

DOI 10.18632/aging.100007

cohort · n=236Cited 302×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →