Telomere length as a predictor of obesity: A longitudinal analysis in ELSA-Brasil

IF 0.3 Q4 NUTRITION & DIETETICS

CAHIERS DE NUTRITION ET DE DIETETIQUE Pub Date : 2026-08-01 Epub Date: 2026-09-24 DOI:10.1016/j.cnd.2026.08.076

Alessandra Silva, Lidyane do Vale Camelo, Amanda Viana Machado, Marina Campos Araújo, Alexandre da Costa Pereira, Luana Giatti Gonçalves, Maria de Jesus Mendes da Fonseca, Sandhi Maria Barreto, Rosane Harter Griep

{"title":"Telomere length as a predictor of obesity: A longitudinal analysis in ELSA-Brasil","authors":"Alessandra Silva, Lidyane do Vale Camelo, Amanda Viana Machado, Marina Campos Araújo, Alexandre da Costa Pereira, Luana Giatti Gonçalves, Maria de Jesus Mendes da Fonseca, Sandhi Maria Barreto, Rosane Harter Griep","doi":"10.1016/j.cnd.2026.08.076","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To investigate the association of telomere length (TL) with obesity in a sub sample of participants from the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).</div></div><div>To investigate the association of telomere length (TL) with obesity in a sub sample of participants from the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).</div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This was a cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis with data from the ELSA-Brasil cohort (ethics committees’ number 976/2006): baseline: 2008–2010; wave 2: 2012–2014; wave 3: 2017–2019. All participants signed an informed consent form. TL was measured using qPCR at baseline, age-corrected, and categorized into tertiles (T1: long; T2: medium; T3: short). Obesity was defined as a body mass index≥30kg/m<sup>2</sup>. The cross-sectional (baseline) association of TL with obesity was assessed using multiple logistic regression. To assess the longitudinal association of baseline TL tertiles and obesity through the waves, a Generalized Linear Mixed Model with a binomial distribution and a random intercept per individual was used. Time was modeled as a categorical variable representing the follow-up waves. Sex, schooling, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, and energy intake were used as adjustments. Data were presented as Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% CI using R software (v4.4.0) and α of 5%.</div></div><div>This was a cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis with data from the ELSA-Brasil cohort (ethics committees’ number 976/2006): baseline: 2008–2010; wave 2: 2012–2014; wave 3: 2017–2019. All participants signed an informed consent form. TL was measured using qPCR at baseline, age-corrected, and categorized into tertiles (T1: long; T2: medium; T3: short). Obesity was defined as a body mass index≥30kg/m<sup>2</sup>. The cross-sectional (baseline) association of TL with obesity was assessed using multiple logistic regression. To assess the longitudinal association of baseline TL tertiles and obesity through the waves, a Generalized Linear Mixed Model with a binomial distribution and a random intercept per individual was used. Time was modeled as a categorical variable representing the follow-up waves. Sex, schooling, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, and energy intake were used as adjustments. Data were presented as Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% CI using R software (v4.4.0) and α of 5%.</div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 1,830 participants were evaluated. They were 52.35 (SD 9.09) years old, most were female, had completed higher education, never smoked, engaged in light physical activity, and were alcohol users. The prevalence of obesity in baseline and in waves 2 and 3 was 19.1%, 21.8%, and 24.8%, respectively. In a cross-sectional analysis, individuals in the second and third thirds of TL (shorter TL) had 47% and 53% higher odds of obesity, respectively, regardless of confounders. The temporal advancement of the follow-up proved to be the main independent predictor for obesity. It was observed that those with shorter TL had 41% higher odds (OR=1.41; 95% CI 0.61–3.22) of having obesity, but without statistical significance. When adjusting for confounders, the gradient and direction of the association remained (OR=3.77; 95% CI: 0.35–1.79), but without statistical significance.</div></div><div>A total of 1,830 participants were evaluated. They were 52.35 (SD 9.09) years old, most were female, had completed higher education, never smoked, engaged in light physical activity, and were alcohol users. The prevalence of obesity in baseline and in waves 2 and 3 was 19.1%, 21.8%, and 24.8%, respectively. In a cross-sectional analysis, individuals in the second and third thirds of TL (shorter TL) had 47% and 53% higher odds of obesity, respectively, regardless of confounders. The temporal advancement of the follow-up proved to be the main independent predictor for obesity. It was observed that those with shorter TL had 41% higher odds (OR=1.41; 95% CI 0.61–3.22) of having obesity, but without statistical significance. When adjusting for confounders, the gradient and direction of the association remained (OR=3.77; 95% CI: 0.35–1.79), but without statistical significance.</div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Short TL showed a cross-sectional association with obesity, but no association in longitudinal analyses. This study is pioneering in Brazil by investigating the association between telomere length and obesity, especially longitudinally.</div></div><div>Short TL showed a cross-sectional association with obesity, but no association in longitudinal analyses. This study is pioneering in Brazil by investigating the association between telomere length and obesity, especially longitudinally.</div>","PeriodicalId":43722,"journal":{"name":"CAHIERS DE NUTRITION ET DE DIETETIQUE","volume":"61 ","pages":"Pages e41-e42"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3000,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"CAHIERS DE NUTRITION ET DE DIETETIQUE","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007996026001525","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2026/9/24 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"NUTRITION & DIETETICS","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the association of telomere length (TL) with obesity in a sub sample of participants from the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).

Methods

This was a cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis with data from the ELSA-Brasil cohort (ethics committees’ number 976/2006): baseline: 2008–2010; wave 2: 2012–2014; wave 3: 2017–2019. All participants signed an informed consent form. TL was measured using qPCR at baseline, age-corrected, and categorized into tertiles (T1: long; T2: medium; T3: short). Obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m². The cross-sectional (baseline) association of TL with obesity was assessed using multiple logistic regression. To assess the longitudinal association of baseline TL tertiles and obesity through the waves, a Generalized Linear Mixed Model with a binomial distribution and a random intercept per individual was used. Time was modeled as a categorical variable representing the follow-up waves. Sex, schooling, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, and energy intake were used as adjustments. Data were presented as Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% CI using R software (v4.4.0) and α of 5%.

Results

A total of 1,830 participants were evaluated. They were 52.35 (SD 9.09) years old, most were female, had completed higher education, never smoked, engaged in light physical activity, and were alcohol users. The prevalence of obesity in baseline and in waves 2 and 3 was 19.1%, 21.8%, and 24.8%, respectively. In a cross-sectional analysis, individuals in the second and third thirds of TL (shorter TL) had 47% and 53% higher odds of obesity, respectively, regardless of confounders. The temporal advancement of the follow-up proved to be the main independent predictor for obesity. It was observed that those with shorter TL had 41% higher odds (OR = 1.41; 95% CI 0.61–3.22) of having obesity, but without statistical significance. When adjusting for confounders, the gradient and direction of the association remained (OR = 3.77; 95% CI: 0.35–1.79), but without statistical significance.

Conclusion

Short TL showed a cross-sectional association with obesity, but no association in longitudinal analyses. This study is pioneering in Brazil by investigating the association between telomere length and obesity, especially longitudinally.

查看原文本刊更多论文

端粒长度作为肥胖的预测因子：elsa -巴西的纵向分析

目的探讨成人健康纵向研究（ELSA-Brasil）参与者亚样本中端粒长度（TL）与肥胖的关系。研究成人健康纵向研究（ELSA-Brasil）参与者亚样本中端粒长度（TL）与肥胖的关系。方法：采用来自elsa -巴西队列（伦理委员会编号976/2006）的数据进行横断面和纵向分析：基线：2008-2010；第二波：2012-2014；第三波：2017-2019。所有参与者都签署了知情同意书。TL在基线使用qPCR测量，年龄校正，并分类为三分位数（T1：长；T2：中；T3：短）。肥胖定义为体重指数≥30 kg/m2。使用多元逻辑回归评估TL与肥胖的横断面（基线）关联。为了通过波来评估基线TL分位数与肥胖之间的纵向关联，采用了二项分布和随机截距的广义线性混合模型。时间被建模为代表后续波的分类变量。性别、学校教育、吸烟、饮酒、体育活动和能量摄入作为调整因素。数据采用R软件（v4.4.0）以比值比（OR）和95% CI表示，α为5%。这是一项来自elsa -巴西队列（伦理委员会编号976/2006）数据的横断面和纵向分析：基线：2008-2010；第二波：2012-2014；第三波：2017-2019。所有参与者都签署了知情同意书。TL在基线使用qPCR测量，年龄校正，并分类为三分位数（T1：长；T2：中；T3：短）。肥胖定义为体重指数≥30 kg/m2。使用多元逻辑回归评估TL与肥胖的横断面（基线）关联。为了通过波来评估基线TL分位数与肥胖之间的纵向关联，采用了二项分布和随机截距的广义线性混合模型。时间被建模为代表后续波的分类变量。性别、学校教育、吸烟、饮酒、体育活动和能量摄入作为调整因素。数据采用R软件（v4.4.0）以比值比（OR）和95% CI表示，α为5%。结果共评估了1,830名参与者。他们的年龄为52.35 （SD 9.09）岁，大多数为女性，完成了高等教育，从不吸烟，从事轻度体育活动，并且是酒精使用者。基线、波2和波3肥胖患病率分别为19.1%、21.8%和24.8%。在横断面分析中，无论混杂因素如何，第二和三分之三TL（较短TL）的个体分别有47%和53%的高肥胖几率。随访的时间提前被证明是肥胖的主要独立预测因子。观察到TL较短者发生肥胖的几率高41% (OR = 1.41; 95% CI 0.61-3.22)，但无统计学意义。在调整混杂因素后，相关性的梯度和方向仍然存在（OR = 3.77; 95% CI: 0.35-1.79），但没有统计学意义。共有1830名参与者接受了评估。他们的年龄为52.35 （SD 9.09）岁，大多数为女性，完成了高等教育，从不吸烟，从事轻度体育活动，并且是酒精使用者。基线、波2和波3肥胖患病率分别为19.1%、21.8%和24.8%。在横断面分析中，无论混杂因素如何，第二和三分之三TL（较短TL）的个体分别有47%和53%的高肥胖几率。随访的时间提前被证明是肥胖的主要独立预测因子。观察到TL较短者发生肥胖的几率高41% (OR = 1.41; 95% CI 0.61-3.22)，但无统计学意义。在调整混杂因素后，相关性的梯度和方向仍然存在（OR = 3.77; 95% CI: 0.35-1.79），但没有统计学意义。结论短TL与肥胖呈横断面相关性，但在纵向分析中无相关性。这项研究在巴西是开创性的，它调查了端粒长度和肥胖之间的关系，尤其是纵向上的关系。短TL显示出与肥胖的横断面关联，但在纵向分析中没有关联。这项研究在巴西是开创性的，它调查了端粒长度和肥胖之间的关系，尤其是纵向上的关系。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

CAHIERS DE NUTRITION ET DE DIETETIQUE NUTRITION & DIETETICS-

CiteScore

0.60

自引率

33.30%

发文量

审稿时长

65 days

期刊介绍： Les Cahiers de nutrition et de diététique sont le lieu de communication reconnu pour les médecins spécialistes de la nutrition, les diététiciens, les professionnels et les chercheurs de agro-alimentaire, les enseignants et les étudiants. Les Cahiers de nutrition et de diététique abordent les sujets se rapportant à la biologie générale, à la médecine et à la nutrition, aux aliments, aux comportements alimentaires, à la diététique pratique, ainsi que des thèmes variés : activité physique, apports nutritionnels conseillés, dénutrition, alcool, obésité de enfant, aliments à effet santé, plaisir alimentaire, restauration collective, goûters et collations, allergies alimentaires...