The Relationship between Telomere Length and Cancer Mortality: Data from the 1999–2002 National Healthy and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

Abstract

Objectives

The association between telomeres length (TL) and cancer mortality is uncertain. We tested the hypotheses that long TL are associated with reduced cancer mortality.

Design

Prospective cohort study

Setting

the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES, 1999–2002).

Participants

The analytic sample included adults (n = 7183) who had TL measurements.

Measurements

DNA was obtained via blood samples. Telomere length was assessed using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction method.

Results

During follow-up (0.08–12.7 person-years, median = 9.5 years), we observed 195 participants had cancer as causes of death. TL was negatively corelated with age, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), C-reactive protein (CRP), race, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and cancer mortality, conversely, positively corelated with alcohol use, but not related to diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and smoking. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that TL was significantly associated with cancer mortality (log-rank, P <0.001).

Conclusions

Our study expands upon previous evidence of a relationship between TL and cancer mortality. TL may be a useful tool for evaluating risk of cancer mortality in American adults.