Latest news with #telomeres
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Poorer children more likely to age faster than affluent counterparts, study finds
Children from poorer backgrounds are more likely to experience biological disadvantages such as ageing faster than their more affluent counterparts, according to a study. Academics at Imperial College London looked at data from 1,160 children aged between six and 11 from across Europe, for the study published in the Lancet. The children were scored using an international scale of family affluence, which is based on a number of factors including whether a child had their own room and the number of vehicles per household. Children were split into groups of high, medium and low affluence groups, and blood samples were used to measure children's average telomere length in white blood cells, while the stress hormone cortisol was measured from urine. Telomeres are structures found within chromosomes that play an important role in cellular ageing and DNA integrity, and their degradation is linked to ageing. Telomeres become shorter as humans age. Previous studies have suggested a link between telomere length and chronic diseases, and that acute and chronic stress can reduce telomere length. The study found that children from the high affluence group had telomeres 5% longer on average compared with children from a low affluence group. Girls were found to have longer telomeres than boys, by an average of 5.6%, while children with a greater body mass index (BMI) had shorter telomeres by 0.18% for each percentage increase in fat mass. Children from the medium and high affluence groups had cortisol levels between 15.2% and 22.8% lower than children from the low affluence group. The authors acknowledged the study had some limitations in that the children analysed were not from families living in poverty, and that the study should not be interpreted as showing a link between affluence and 'quality' of genes, but rather showing the indirect impact of environment on a known marker of ageing and long-term health. Dr Oliver Robinson, from Imperial's school of public health and senior author of the study, said: 'Our findings show a clear relationship between family affluence and a known marker for cellular ageing, with potentially lifelong patterns being shaped in the first decade of a child's life. 'It means that for some children, their economic background may put them at a biological disadvantage compared to those who have a better start in life. By failing to address this, we are setting children on a lifelong trajectory where they may be more likely to have less healthy and shorter lives.' Robinson added: 'Our work suggests that being from a low affluence background is causing additional biological wear and tear. For children from the low affluent group this may be equivalent to approximately 10 years of ageing at the cellular level, compared to children from high affluence backgrounds.' Kendal Marston, from Imperial's school of public health and the first author of the study, said: 'We know that chronic exposure to stress causes biological wear and tear on the body. This has been demonstrated in animal studies at the cellular level – with stressed animals having shorter telomeres. 'While our study couldn't show that cortisol was the mechanism, it does demonstrate a link between affluence and telomere length, which we know in adulthood is related to lifespan and health. It may be that children from less affluent backgrounds are experiencing greater psychosocial stress. For example, they may be sharing a bedroom with family members, or they may not have the resources they need for school – like access to a computer for homework.'
Medical News Today
28-05-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Vitamin D supplements may help slow down aging by 3 years
Vitmain D supplements may impact etelemore length and helo slow down aging, according to new research. Bowery Image Group Inc./Stocksy Telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, are an important component of healthy aging. One study found that vitamin D supplementation helps to minimize the shortening of telomeres, which happens as people get older, and thus may protect against diseases tied to age and biological aging. This data adds to the potential protective components of vitamin D, which experts should consider alongside potential risks and additional research. As the authors of this study explained, telomeres help protect the ends of chromosomes. Telomere shortening might increase the risk of death and certain diseases. David Cutler, MD, a board certified family medicine physician at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today that 'When telomeres become too short, cells enter senescence (a non-dividing state) or apoptosis (programmed cell death). Either condition of cell inactivity or death is thought to contribute to aging and age-related diseases.' The researchers found that vitamin D supplementation helped minimize telomere shortening in white blood cells, which could help slow down biological aging. For this study, researchers used data from the VITAL trial. This trial included a representative sample of adults in the United States who received vitamin D3 supplements, omega-3 fatty acid supplements, or both for around five years. It was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, so some participants received the supplements while others received the placebo. All female participants were at least fifty-five years old, and all male participants were at least fifty. This data specifically examined a cohort that visited the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Centre. At baseline and follow-up visits, participants participated in in-person assessments and provided fasting blood samples. Researchers examined telomere length in leukocytes , which are the body's white blood cells, among participants who received supplements and those who received the placebo. Researchers were able to analyze over 2,500 samples from over 1,000 participants. They examined telomere length at baseline and at two- and four-year follow-up, though some data was missing. They conducted a statistical analysis using models to adjust for various covariates. They also did an exploratory subgroup analysis to see how different factors, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, impacted results. Aside from a higher body mass index in the omega-3 fatty acid supplement group, the placebo and intervention groups had similar baseline characteristics. Missing data was also similar between the two groups. Vitamin D appeared to have a positive impact on telomere length. Among participants who received vitamin D, there was only minimal shortening of telomere length at two and four years. In contrast, there was substantial telomere shortening in the placebo group at both time points. Omega-3 fatty acids supplementation appeared to have no significant impact on telomere length. The subgroup analysis further suggested that the effects of vitamin D on telomere length were significant for participants not taking medication for cholesterol, but not for participants who were taking cholesterol medication. Vitamin D also minimized telomere shortening at a statistically significant level for non-white participants. There was no significant interaction with body mass index, but researchers did observe that participants who were not obese had significantly minimized telomere shortening. Also, taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements did not appear to impact the role of vitamin D on telomere length. This analysis of telomere length in this study population does have some limitations. First, most participants were white, and all participants were at least fifty, so it may not be possible to generalize the findings to other groups. Researchers acknowledge that this was a post-hoc analysis of an already completed study and that the study was not originally designed to look at the effects of supplements on leukocyte telomere length. The analysis also excluded participants who did not have data on leukocyte telomere length. It's possible that unaccounted-for factors influenced the results, and the study also has any other limitations found in the original study. Regarding exploratory subgroup analysis results, researchers encourage caution, note limited power, and say people should look at the data as 'hypothesis-generating.' After four years, there were about 37% missing cases. Researchers acknowledge that this reduced power and could be why they did not find omega-3 fatty acid supplementation affected leukocyte telomere length. Future research can explore why vitamin D may have these effects on telomere length. For example, it could be related to an enzyme called telomerase that helps to lengthen telomeres and how vitamin D may protect against DNA damage. Cutler also noted the following limitations of the study: 'The present study involved only a relatively small number of people, looked only at telomeres in white blood cells, and did not look extensively at the health impact of these telomere changes. So, the clinical implications one can derive from this study are quite limited.' This study suggests the potential benefits of vitamin D in relation to aging. The authors suggest that the preservation of telomere length in this study 'could mean a 3-year decrease in aging.' 'As we know already, vitamin D supports bone, immune system and reduces inflammation, but this study is linked directly with telomere preservation which ties into aging and disease prevention. This [study] gives more of a general idea that vitamin D3 could do more than just helping your bones but actually slowing down the cellular age, impressive!' 'If this is confirmed in future studies, this could mean that daily [vitamin D} supplements could actually help reduce risks for age-related diseases. This is a door for new medical guidelines in the future and will be a huge deal for preventive medicine.' — Yoshua Quinones, MD However, it's also important to note the potential risks of vitamin D supplementation. 'While 2,000 units of vitamin D is unlikely to have any negative effects, there may be some risk to vitamin D supplements as they can cause kidney damage and other adverse effects in excessive quantities. Since vitamin D is fat soluble, it can accumulate in our bodies, causing toxicity. So, any potential, as yet unproven benefits of vitamin D need to be weighed against its known risks,' Cutler said. Supplements Nutrition / Diet Seniors / Aging antiaging
The Sun
27-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Taking 9p daily supplement shown to ‘counter ageing process' by three years
A CHEAP and easy-to-find supplement could slow ageing by three years, scientists say Experts already urge Brits to take vitamin D from October to March, when sunlight is too weak for the body to produce enough naturally. 1 Vitamin D regulates calcium and phosphate levels, essential nutrients for healthy bones, teeth, and muscles. Now, scientists suggest taking the supplement daily for four years could slow ageing by helping preserve protective DNA caps, known as telomeres, which shrink as we get older. Shorter telomeres have been linked to ageing, as well as inflammation, which is associated with autoimmune diseases as well as cancer. But don't rush out to buy supplements just yet. The findings need to be confirmed with additional research, the US scientists from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, said. 'Dietary supplements will never be a substitute for healthy diet and healthy lifestyle, and we've made it very clear time and again that the focus should be on the diet and lifestyle rather than on supplementation,' Dr JoAnn Manson, a co-author of the study, said. 'However, targeted supplementation for people who have higher levels of inflammation or a higher risk of chronic diseases clearly related to inflammation, those high-risk groups may benefit from targeted vitamin D supplementation," she told The Washington Post. The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, analysed data from 900 US adults over 50, who took part in the ongoing VITAL trial. Some were given 2,000 IUs of vitamin D3, others 1g of omega-3 fish oil a day, or a placebo, for four years. Scientists then measured the length of telomeres in the blood at the start, and again after two and four years. Top 5 Vitamins for Beautiful Hair Previous studies observed a link between vitamin D and longer telomeres, but couldn't prove the vitamin caused the effect. This latest trial was randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled - the gold standard of clinical research - making the findings more robust. Those taking vitamin D3 saw significantly less telomere shrinkage than those who didn't, equivalent to a three-year slowdown in ageing. Meanwhile, government-funded research has found that more than one in 10 adults in the UK are lacking in the sunshine vitamin. How can I boost my vitamin D levels? You can derive a certain amount of vitamin D from your diet, through foods like: Oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel Red meat Liver (avoid liver if you are pregnant) Egg yolks Fortified foods – such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals It's recommended that children aged one and above and adults take a supplement with 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day during autumn and winter. You can get a box of Ultra Vitamin D 2000 IU Extra Strength (96 tablets) from Boots for just 9p a tablet. You'll find similar prices at Holland & Barrett and Morrisons too.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Common daily vitamin could slow biological aging, major study suggests
Vitamin D might be doing more than just supporting bone health — it could also help the body age slower, according to a new study led by researchers at Mass General Brigham (MGB) and the Medical College of Georgia. The study, published this month in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reveals that taking vitamin D supplements may protect against biological aging by slowing the shortening of telomeres, the tiny caps on DNA that naturally erode as people grow older. Conducted as part of a nationwide four-year trial, the study tracked over 1,000 U.S. adults (men over 50 and women over 55) and found that daily vitamin D3 could reduce biological wear and tear, equivalent to nearly three years of aging, according to a press release from MGB. Colorectal Cancer Risk Reduced By This Common Vitamin, Study Suggests Participants were randomly assigned to take either a placebo or a daily dose of vitamin D3 (2,000 IU) and omega-3 fatty acids (1 gram). Telomere length in white blood cells was measured at the start of the study, at the two-year mark and after four years. Read On The Fox News App Compared to the placebo group, those taking vitamin D3 had significantly less telomere shortening, the researchers found. In contrast, omega-3 supplements "had no significant effect on telomere length throughout follow-up," the team reported. Aging May Speed Up In Areas With Extreme Heat, Research Suggests This was the first large-scale, long-term randomized trial to show that vitamin D supplements protect telomeres, according to co-author JoAnn Manson, M.D., the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women's Health at Harvard Medical School. "This is of particular interest because VITAL (the trial) has also shown benefits of vitamin D in reducing inflammation and lowering risks of selected chronic diseases of aging, such as advanced cancer and autoimmune disease," Manson said in the release. Telomeres act like protective tips at the ends of chromosomes, similar to the plastic ends of shoelaces, according to the researchers. They "prevent chromosome ends from degrading or fusing with other chromosomes." Over time, these DNA caps shorten, which is a natural part of aging and is linked to a higher risk of age-related diseases. Because of this, scientists view telomere length as a marker of "biological age," which may better reflect a person's health status than their actual age in years. Earlier phases of the trial showed that vitamin D supplementation could reduce inflammation and lower the risk of certain chronic age-related conditions, such as advanced cancers and autoimmune diseases, Manson noted. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter While the new telomere findings don't prove that vitamin D slows aging across the board, researchers say it points to a potentially powerful way to protect the body at the cellular level. "Our findings suggest that targeted vitamin D supplementation may be a promising strategy to counter the biological aging process, although further research is warranted," said first author Dr. Haidong Zhu, a molecular geneticist at the Medical College of Georgia, in the release. The research team emphasized that more work is needed to determine how vitamin D impacts aging in different populations and whether these effects endure over longer timeframes. For more Health articles, visit Before starting a new supplement regimen, experts recommend consulting with a healthcare provider to discuss proper dosage and potential article source: Common daily vitamin could slow biological aging, major study suggests
Fox News
27-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Common daily vitamin could slow biological aging, major study suggests
Vitamin D might be doing more than just supporting bone health — it could also help the body age slower, according to a new study led by researchers at Mass General Brigham (MGB) and the Medical College of Georgia. The study, published this month in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reveals that taking vitamin D supplements may protect against biological aging by slowing the shortening of telomeres, the tiny caps on DNA that naturally erode as people grow older. Conducted as part of a nationwide four-year trial, the study tracked over 1,000 U.S. adults (men over 50 and women over 55) and found that daily vitamin D3 could reduce biological wear and tear, equivalent to nearly three years of aging, according to a press release from MGB. Participants were randomly assigned to take either a placebo or a daily dose of vitamin D3 (2,000 IU) and omega-3 fatty acids (1 gram). Telomere length in white blood cells was measured at the start of the study, at the two-year mark and after four years. Compared to the placebo group, those taking vitamin D3 had significantly less telomere shortening, the researchers found. In contrast, omega-3 supplements "had no significant effect on telomere length throughout follow-up," the team reported. This was the first large-scale, long-term randomized trial to show that vitamin D supplements protect telomeres, according to co-author JoAnn Manson, M.D., the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women's Health at Harvard Medical School. "This is of particular interest because VITAL (the trial) has also shown benefits of vitamin D in reducing inflammation and lowering risks of selected chronic diseases of aging, such as advanced cancer and autoimmune disease," Manson said in the release. Telomeres act like protective tips at the ends of chromosomes, similar to the plastic ends of shoelaces, according to the researchers. They "prevent chromosome ends from degrading or fusing with other chromosomes." Over time, these DNA caps shorten, which is a natural part of aging and is linked to a higher risk of age-related diseases. Because of this, scientists view telomere length as a marker of "biological age," which may better reflect a person's health status than their actual age in years. Earlier phases of the trial showed that vitamin D supplementation could reduce inflammation and lower the risk of certain chronic age-related conditions, such as advanced cancers and autoimmune diseases, Manson noted. While the new telomere findings don't prove that vitamin D slows aging across the board, researchers say it points to a potentially powerful way to protect the body at the cellular level. "Our findings suggest that targeted vitamin D supplementation may be a promising strategy to counter the biological aging process, although further research is warranted," said first author Dr. Haidong Zhu, a molecular geneticist at the Medical College of Georgia, in the release. Previous research suggested vitamin D could reduce inflammation and lower the risk of some age-related diseases. The research team emphasized that more work is needed to determine how vitamin D impacts aging in different populations and whether these effects endure over longer timeframes. For more Health articles, visit Before starting a new supplement regimen, experts recommend consulting with a healthcare provider to discuss proper dosage and potential risks.
