Measuring the ends of chromosomes in older people may help predict their risk of dying from age-related diseases.

A University of Utah study, which appears in this week's issue of The Lancet, looked at the ends of chromosomes, called telomeres. These telomeres shorten with age. That shortening may contribute to increased risk of disease and death for older people.

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For example, people with the genetic disorder dyskeratosis congenita have accelerated telomere shortening. These people suffer premature onset of many age-related diseases and early death.

General population studied
This is the first study of the general population to determine if older people with longer telomeres live longer than people with shorter telomeres.

The study included 143 people over age 60. They were matched by age and ranked by telomere length, which was determined through blood samples.

Longevity linked to length
People who were ranked in the top half of telomere length lived four to five years longer than those in the bottom half of telomere length.

Those in the bottom half had a three-fold increase in death from heart disease. The people in the bottom quartile of telomere length had an eight-fold risk of death from infectious diseases. – (HealthScout News)

Read more:
Genetic link to disorders discovered
 

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