Objective: To elucidate the correlation between the telomere length and subtelomeric methylated status in peripheral leukocytes and the laboratory data of inpatients with brain infarction and metabolic disorders. This is the first report describing a link between routine clinical laboratory data and genomic aging.
Design: Cross-sectional population-based study.
Setting: Chronic disease ward of Kyushu University Hospital at Beppu in Japan.
Participants: Inpatients with brain infarction and metabolic disorders.
Measurements: The laboratory data of male patients were collected and the telomeric parameters in their peripheral leukocytes were determined by a Southern blot analysis with methylation-sensitive and insensitive isoschizomers. Any correlations between the laboratory data and the telomeric parameters were assessed.
Results: The patients revealed a significant correlation among the fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels with the mean telomere length, expression of long telomeres ( > 9.4 kb), or the subtelomeric hypermethylation status of long telomeres.
Conclusion: Our results suggested that the hyperglycemia and renal function of patients with metabolic disorders correlated positively with the aging-associated telomeric changes.