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Shorter Leukocyte Telomere Length Linked to Higher Incidence of Age-Related Brain Diseases

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on June 12, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, June 12, 2025 -- Individuals with shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) have a higher incidence of stroke, dementia, and late-life depression (LLD), individually and as a composite outcome, according to a study published online June 11 in Neurology.

Tamara N. Kimball, M.D., from the Brain Care Labs at Mass General Brigham in Boston, and colleagues analyzed participants from the U.K. Biobank with available LTL and risk factor information. The authors examined associations between LTL and stroke, dementia, and LLD individually and as a composite outcome. Risk comparisons were made across LTL tertiles, stratified by risk factor profiles, with high and low Brain Care Scores (BCS; ≥15 and ≤10) indicating healthier and less optimal lifestyle choices, respectively.

A total of 356,173 participants were included in the study. The researchers observed a consistent association for shorter LTL with higher incidence rates across all outcomes. Elevated risks for the composite outcome, stroke, dementia, and LLD were seen for participants in the shortest LTL tertile (hazard ratios, 1.11, 1.08, 1.19, and 1.14, respectively). Significantly increased risks for age-related brain diseases and individually for stroke, dementia, and LLD were seen for individuals with both shorter LTL and lower BCS (hazard ratios, 1.11, 1.10, 1.17, and 1.13, respectively). No significant increase was seen in the risk for any age-related brain diseases for individuals with higher BCS within the shortest LTL group. In Mendelian randomization analyses, no causal relationships were identified between LTL and any of these outcomes.

"These results suggest that healthy lifestyle behaviors could delay the aging of our cells and reduce the frequency of these diseases, especially in people who are greater risk," coauthor Christopher D. Anderson, M.D., from Harvard Medical School in Boston, said in a statement.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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Posted June 2025

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