Have you wondered what causes our bodies to age?  Is there an internal clock in our bodies?

Our understanding of how our cells age, and how we can protect our cells from aging, is expanding at an amazingly quick pace. Several decades ago, scientists discovered telomeres.  Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of our chromosomes that are similar to the plastic caps at the end of a shoelace. As the plastic ends shred, and the shoelace becomes frayed and damaged, so too the shortening of our telomeres can leave our cells vulnerable to damage.

Telomeres are considered an index of cell age and are like a clock of the cell’s lifespan. Telomere shortening means the cell’s lifespan is shortening. Recent research shows that telomere shortening plays an important role in human disease and mortality. More than 20 studies have shown associations between shorter telomere length and various types of cardiovascular disease (e.g., stroke, heart attacks) and diabetes.  Shorter telomeres have also been associated with cancer, osteoporosis, cognitive function, dementia, and arthritis. On the flip-side, long telomeres are related to healthy aging and overall longevity.

So, does shorter telomere length predict shorter life-span?

Mounting evidence suggests that people with shorter immune cell telomeres die earlier than people with longer immune cell telomeres.  However, there’s hope for people with shorter telomeres…recent research suggests that telomeres can lengthen as well as shorten over time.  In particular, we are learning that health behaviors such as exercising, eating a healthy diet and reducing psychological stress may influence how quickly our telomeres shorten or lengthen. So, it appears that there are many things we can do to protect our own telomeres.

In 2004, the first study described the links between high psychological stress and shorter telomere length. The leaders of this study were Drs. Elizabeth Blackburn and Elissa Epel, who are conducting the current “Know Your Telomeres” study. This finding has also been replicated by other research teams.

Still, there is hope for those of us who lead highly stressful lives.  Dr. Eli Puterman, another investigator leading this study, recently found that when highly stressed individuals exercised consistently during the week their telomeres were not shorter. In other words, engaging in physical activity appears to protect us from the damage done by a stressful life.

There are other factors besides exercise that also appear to be protective. Another recent study by Dean Ornish and our USCF research group found that a 3-month program of yoga, low fat diet, and increased physical activity was associated with increases in the enzyme called “telomerase” that protects telomeres from eroding. Therefore, although this is a new area of research, and the research measure is not yet used for clinical or diagnostic purposes, it appears that people can act to protect their telomeres and maintain their telomere length -- and perhaps increase their lifespan. 

Based on the cross-sectional studies linking telomere length to psychological states and lifestyle, it is likely that the following factors may help maintain or even lengthen our telomeres:

1. •Increasing vigorous exercise to 4 to 5 times a week, such as  getting on a bike, going for a brisk walk or jog, joining a gym, or practicing yoga, activities that increase your heart rate or make you sweat.
   

2. •Improving overall nutrition, including taking vitamins; eating a low-fat diet, and eating less red and processed meat, like hot dogs and sausages.
   

3. •If overweight, losing that extra weight.
   

4. •Enhancing well being, by reducing psychological stress and depression level.
   

Telomere measures have now become available to the public and may be commonly used in the future. Some members of our own team are developing a company for testing telomeres as well.  Although research continues to accumulate, you should be aware that telomere length is not used for clinical or diagnostic purposes yet.  Nonetheless, many people are interested in knowing more about their telomeres.

The Know Your Telomeres Study

If you participate in this study, you will learn your own telomere length at the beginning of the year (specifically whether the length is short or not). Approximately a year after you have had your telomeres measured we will measure them again. You can choose whether or not you would like to learn your telomere length at this time. We will also ask how you feel about learning this information throughout the year.

It is important to remember that if you learn you have short blood telomere length, this is not a diagnosis.  This is a risk factor for vulnerability to several diseases, similar to learning you have higher than average cholesterol, which increases vulnerability for heart disease. The good news is that, unlike a gene, telomere length can change.  From our own research, we believe it can change in a year (or possibly even less), partially in response to one’s lifestyle.

However, please be aware that telomere length change is still a relatively new area of research. Some studies have observed that long telomeres get shorter over a year, and that short telomeres can maintain their length or in some cases even get longer. Therefore, one possibility is that the body regulates telomere length on its own, somewhat independent of lifestyle.  So for example, people who have long telomeres and exercise may still show shortening over the year. If your telomere length shortens over the course of a year, this is to be expected.  In addition, it is important to remember that telomere length change is neither a diagnosis nor a risk factor.

To summarize, we are still learning exactly what influences the change in telomeres over a one year period. This study will help us to uncover the mysteries of telomere length change.  If you participate in this study, your honest answers about how often you are exercising and what you are eating, for example, will help us to figure out how much lifestyle can shape telomere length.