Asociación entre salud cardiovascular ideal y longitud telomérica en una población de edad avanzada de la cohorte SUN / Association between ideal cardiovascular health and telomere length in participants older than 55 years old from the SUN cohort

Introducción y objetivos: Los telómeros son regiones no codificantes localizadas al final de los cromosomas de células eucariotas, y su acortamiento se ha visto relacionado con la enfermedad cardiovascular y sus factores de riesgo. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar la asociación entre el índice de salud cardiovascular ideal y el riesgo de telómero corto en una población de sujetos de edad avanzada de la cohorte Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN). Métodos: Se valoró a 886 adultos mayores de 55 años (645 varones y 241 mujeres). La longitud telomérica se midió utilizando qPCR (quantitative protein chain reaction) en tiempo real y reacción única. El índice de salud cardiovascular «Life's simple 7» se definió según la American Heart Association mediante la puntuación de 7 ítems con valores de 0 a 2 para cada uno: tabaquismo, actividad física, dieta, índice de masa corporal, presión arterial, colesterol total y glucosa en sangre. La máxima puntuación del índice corresponde a 14 puntos. Se categorizó en terciles: pobre (0-9 puntos), intermedio (10-11 puntos) e ideal (12-14 puntos). El riesgo de telómero corto se definió como una longitud telomérica por debajo del percentil 20. Resultados: Sujetos con altos valores en el índice de salud cardiovascular ideal tenían menos riesgo de telómero corto (OR ajustada=0,60; IC95%, 0,34-1,05; p de tendencia lineal=0,052). Esta asociación fue significativa en varones (OR ajustada=0,37; IC95%, 0,17-0,83; p de tendencia lineal=0,025), pero no en mujeres. Conclusiones: En varones mayores de 55 años, existe una asociación inversa entre el índice de salud cardiovascular y el riesgo de tener telómeros cortos (AU)

Introduction and objectives: Telomeres are noncoding regions located at the end of chromosomes and their shortening has been associated with risk factors and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between ideal cardiovascular health (Life's simple 7) and the odds of having short telomeres in a subsample of participants older than 55 years from the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) study. Methods: We included 886 participants older than 55 years (645 men and 241 women). Telomere length was measured using a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Cardiovascular health score was defined by the American Heart Association as a composite score of 7 key risk factors (smoking status, physical activity, diet, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose) with 0 to 2 points for each factor. We categorized this score in tertiles as poor (0-9 points), intermediate (10-11 points) and ideal (12-14 points). The odds of having short telomeres was defined as telomere length below the 20th percentile. Results: Individuals with higher ideal cardiovascular health had a lower prevalence of having short telomeres (adjusted OR, 0.60; 95%CI, 0.34-1.05; P trend=.052). This association was statistically significant in men (adjusted OR, 0.37; 95%CI, 0.17-0.83; P trend=.025) but not in women. Conclusions: An inverse association between cardiovascular health score and short telomeres was found especially for men older than 55 years in the SUN population (AU)

Dietary Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Dioxins and Its Relationship to Telomere Length in Subjects Older Than 55 Years from the SUN Project.

Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) may influence telomere length (TL), which is considered as a marker of biological age associated with the risk of chronic disease. We hypothesized that dietary exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins could affect TL. Our aim was to evaluate the association of dietary exposure to PCBs and dioxins with TL. In this cross-sectional study of 886 subjects older than 55 y (mean age: 67.7; standard deviation (SD): 6.1; 27% women) from the "Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra" (SUN) project. TL was determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and dietary PCBs and dioxins exposure was collected using a validated 136-item Food Frequency Questionnaire. Multivariable linear regression models were used to control for potential confounding factors. Shorter TL was associated with dietary total PCBs (SD of T/S ratio/(ng/day) = -0.30 × 10-7; 95% CI, -0.55 × 10-7 to -0.06 × 10-7), dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) (SD of T/S ratio/(pg WHO TEQ (Toxic Equivalents)/day) = -6.17 × 10-7; 95% CI, -11.30 × 10-7 to -1.03 × 10-7), and total TEQ exposure (SD of T/S ratio/(pg WHO TEQ/day) = -5.02 × 10-7; 95% CI, -9.44 × 10-7 to -0.61 × 10-7), but not with dioxins (SD of T/S ratio/(pg WHO TEQ/day) = -13.90 × 10-7; 95% CI, -37.70 × 10-7 to 9.79 × 10-7). In this sample of middle-aged and older Spanish adults, dietary exposure to total PCBs and DL-PCBs alone and together with dioxins was associated with shorter TL. Further longitudinal studies, preferably with POPs measured in biological samples, are needed to confirm this finding.

Association between ideal cardiovascular health and telomere length in participants older than 55 years old from the SUN cohort.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Telomeres are noncoding regions located at the end of chromosomes and their shortening has been associated with risk factors and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between ideal cardiovascular health (Life's simple 7) and the odds of having short telomeres in a subsample of participants older than 55 years from the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) study. METHODS: We included 886 participants older than 55 years (645 men and 241 women). Telomere length was measured using a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Cardiovascular health score was defined by the American Heart Association as a composite score of 7 key risk factors (smoking status, physical activity, diet, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose) with 0 to 2 points for each factor. We categorized this score in tertiles as poor (0-9 points), intermediate (10-11 points) and ideal (12-14 points). The odds of having short telomeres was defined as telomere length below the 20th percentile. RESULTS: Individuals with higher ideal cardiovascular health had a lower prevalence of having short telomeres (adjusted OR, 0.60; 95%CI, 0.34-1.05; P trend=.052). This association was statistically significant in men (adjusted OR, 0.37; 95%CI, 0.17-0.83; P trend=.025) but not in women. CONCLUSIONS: An inverse association between cardiovascular health score and short telomeres was found especially for men older than 55 years in the SUN population. The SUN project was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT02669602).

Dietary calcium, vitamin D, and breast cancer risk in women: findings from the SUN cohort.

PURPOSE: Epidemiological evidence concerning the relationship between calcium and vitamin D intake and breast cancer (BC) is inconclusive. Moreover, the association according to menopausal status remains unclear. We aimed to assess whether total intakes from dietary and supplemental sources of calcium and vitamin D were associated with the incidence of BC in a Mediterranean cohort. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated the association between intakes of calcium and vitamin D and BC risk among 10,812 women in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) Project, a Spanish cohort of university graduates. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 10.7 years, 101 incident BC cases were confirmed. Evidence of a non-linear association between total calcium intake and BC risk was found (Pnon-linearity = 0.011) with risk reductions associated with higher intake up to approximately 1400 mg/day. Moderate intake [Tertile 2 (T2)] of total calcium was associated with lower overall BC risk [HR for T2 vs. Tertile 1 (T1): 0.55; 95% CI 0.33-0.91] and also among postmenopausal women (HRT2 vs. T1 = 0.38; 95% CI 0.16-0.92). Intake of vitamin D was not associated with BC risk. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest an L-shaped association between total calcium intake and BC incidence. Moderate calcium intake may be associated with lower BC risk among overall and postmenopausal women, but not among premenopausal women. No evidence for any association between vitamin D intake and BC was found. Adherence to current guidelines recommendations for calcium intake may help to reduce BC risk.

Longitudinal HIV Transmission Risk Profiles Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With HIV in the SUN Study.

Examining how multiple concomitant factors interact to augment HIV transmission risk is needed to inform more effective primary and secondary HIV prevention programs for men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. The development of a "taxonomy" of long-term sexual and drug-related risk behavior profiles may have important implications for resource allocation and targeted HIV prevention programming. A secondary data analysis was conducted to explore longitudinal HIV transmission risk profiles among 423 MSM living with HIV enrolled in the Study to Understand the Natural History of HIV and AIDS in the Era of Effective Therapy (SUN Study). Between March 2004 and February 2012, participants completed semiannual, audio computer-assisted self-interviews that included demographics, employment status, medical information, alcohol use, stimulant use, sexual risk, and depression. Latent class analysis was used to identify patterns of risky behavior over time with respect to sexual risk, heavy drinking, and stimulant (i.e., methamphetamine and cocaine) use taken collectively. Three classes were identified: (a) High Sustained Heavy Drinker Class (33%), (b) High Mostly Stable Sexual Risk Class (17%), and (c) Overall Low Risk Class. (50%). Post hoc comparisons between classes revealed that men in Classes 1 ( p = .03) and 2 ( p = .02) were significantly younger than those in Class 3. In comparison to those in Classes 1 and 3, those in Class 2 were less likely to report being a racial/ethnic minority ( p = .04) and had the highest self-reported sexually transmitted infections ( p < .001). Findings indicate the need to better integrate sexual and substance use risk reduction strategies, including brief interventions and engagement in addiction treatment, for MSM living with HIV in the United States.