Telomere Shortening in Middle-Aged Men with Sleep-disordered Breathing

Abstract

Intermittent hypoxemia due to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is a major contributor to telomere shortening in middle-aged men. Oxidative stress may explain this finding.

The effect of the severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on telomere length

“…In accordance with our results, Boyer and colleagues (2016) observed in a sample of middle-aged males that intermittent hypoxia, via oxygen dessaturation index, was an important contributor to telomere shortening, even controlling for confounders [18]. Similarly, Choi and colleagues found that OSA had a significant association with short telomere length, increasing the risk of brain white matter changes in a community-based cohort of aged people [20].…”

“…We also found that LTL was correlated with sleep fragmentation and hypoxia-related parameters, being the last one, represented by mean SpO 2 , one of the most important predictors of LTL, after age. Although evidence from the literature had already pointed to a relationship between sleep disordered breathing and LTL [18–21], the present study has described the relationship between LTL and the main pathophysiological parameters of OSAS using objective methods in a representative population sample.…”

“…Considering the fact that an important modulator of telomere maintenance is oxidative stress and that telomere-driven replicative senescence is primarily a stress response [17], evidences have pointed out to a potential association between OSAS and cellular aging, through telomere shortening [18–20]. Thus, we hypothesized that OSAS would be associated with shorter telomere length compared to control individuals without OSAS.…”

Obstructive sleep apnoea and susceptibility to cardiovascular disease: A blessing or curse of old age?

“…IH can also induce dyslipidaemia and insulin resistance, which develop with age. A recent study found that OSA was associated with shortened telomeres, a hallmark of ageing . In this study, the aged mice exhibited relatively high levels of collagen in the cardiac and aortic vessels, an established effect of normal ageing.…”

“…A recent study found that OSA was associated with shortened telomeres, a hallmark of ageing. 10 In this study, the aged mice exhibited relatively high levels of collagen in the cardiac and aortic vessels, an established effect of normal ageing. In fact, the effects of IH in young mice never superseded the effects of normoxic ageing.…”