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Telomere length is independently associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in subjects with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study

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Abstract

Aims

Individuals with type 2 diabetes show shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) compared to people without diabetes. Reduced LTL is associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in healthy subjects. The aim of the study is to assess whether LTL also correlates with IMT in patients with diabetes.

Methods

In a cohort of 104 subjects with type 2 diabetes and atherogenic dyslipidemia, we assessed anthropometric, hemodynamic and metabolic parameters. Common carotid IMT was expressed as the maximum IMT. LTL was assessed by a specific real-time PCR reaction.

Results

At univariate analysis, IMT values were positively correlated with age (p < 0.001), previous history of cardiovascular events (p < 0.005), fasting plasma glucose (p < 0.01), HbA1c (p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with LTL (p < 0.05). In a multivariate model, age (p < 0.001) and LTL (p < 0.05) were the only independent predictors of maximum IMT, with an adjusted R 2 of 0.22.

Conclusions

LTL is an independent predictor of subclinical atherosclerosis pointing to a role of LTL as an early marker of vascular burden and cardiovascular disease also in type 2 diabetes.

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Acknowledgments

This paper has been supported by the DiAL-ER/ADSL research grant from the Regional Health trust-University Program, Emilia-Romagna, Italy and by Local Funds for research “FIL” from the University of Parma of ADC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43126, Parma, Italy

    Valentina Spigoni, Raffaella Aldigeri, Angela Picconi, Eleonora Derlindati, Laura Franzini, Silvia Haddoub, Giorgia Prampolini, Ivana Zavaroni, Riccardo C. Bonadonna & Alessandra Dei Cas

  2. Internal Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy

    Giovanni B. Vigna

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  1. Valentina Spigoni
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  2. Raffaella Aldigeri
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  4. Eleonora Derlindati
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  10. Riccardo C. Bonadonna
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  11. Alessandra Dei Cas
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Correspondence to Alessandra Dei Cas.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Spigoni, V., Aldigeri, R., Picconi, A. et al. Telomere length is independently associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in subjects with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study. Acta Diabetol 53, 661–667 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-016-0857-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-016-0857-x

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