Epidemiol Health.  2021;43(1):e2021063. 10.4178/epih.e2021063.

Association between body temperature and leukocyte telomere length in Korean middle-aged and older adults

• García-García C
• Shin C
• Baik I

• KMID: 2523290
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2021063

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Data on associations between body temperature (BT) and leukocyte telomere length (LTL), which has been widely used as a biomarker of cellular senescence in recent epidemiological studies, are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the associations between a normal BT range (35.0-37.5°C) and LTL via 6-year longitudinal observations of 2,004 male and female adults aged 50 or older.
METHODS
BT was obtained by measuring the tympanic temperature, and relative LTL was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Robust regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between the baseline and follow-up LTL values and their differences.
RESULTS
A significant inverse association was found between BT and LTL at baseline. The regression coefficient estimate was -0.03 (95% confidence interval, -0.07 to -0.001; p<0.05). This association was stronger in participants with a body mass index >25 kg/m² and males (p<0.01). However, there were no associations between BT and LTL at follow-up or BT and 6-year longitudinal differences in LTL.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that having a high BT between 35°C and 37.5°C (95°F and 99°F) may be detrimental for obese individuals in terms of biological aging.

Keyword

Body temperature; Telomere shortening; Obesity; Aging; Longitudinal study