Telomere length increase after weight loss induced by bariatric surgery: results from a 10 years prospective study

Laimer, Markus; Melmer, A; Lamina, C; Raschenberger, J; Adamovski, P; Engl, J; Ress, C; Tschoner, A; Gelsinger, C; Mair, L; Kiechl, S; Willeit, J; Willeit, P; Stettler, Christoph; Tilg, H; Kronenberg, F; Ebenbichler, C (2016). Telomere length increase after weight loss induced by bariatric surgery: results from a 10 years prospective study. International journal of obesity, 40(5), pp. 773-778. Nature Publishing Group 10.1038/ijo.2015.238

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BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Obesity contributes to telomere attrition. Studies focusing on short-term effects of weight loss have been unable to identify protection of telomere length. This study investigates long-term effects of pronounced weight loss induced by bariatric surgery on telomere length.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

One hundred forty-two patients were recruited in a prospective, controlled intervention study, follow-up investigations were done after 10.46±1.48 years. A control group of normal weight participants was recruited and followed from 1995 to 2005 in the Bruneck Study. A total of 110 participants from each study was matched by age and sex to compare changes in telomere length. Quantitative PCR was used to determine telomere length.

RESULTS

Telomere length increased significantly by 0.024±0.14 (P=0.047) in 142 bariatric patients within 10 years after surgery. The increase was different from telomere attrition in an age- and sex-matched cohort population of the Bruneck Study (-0.057±0.18; β=0.08; P=0.003). Significant changes in telomere length disappeared after adjusting for baseline body mass index (BMI) because of general differences in BMI and telomere length between the two study populations (β=0.07; P=0.06). Age was proportional to telomere length in matched bariatric patients (r=0.188; P=0.049) but inversely correlated with telomere length in participants of the Bruneck Study (r=-0.197; P=0.039). There was no association between percent BMI/excess weight loss and telomere attrition in bariatric patients. Baseline telomere length in bariatric patients was inversely associated with baseline plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. Telomere shortening was associated with lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and higher fasting glucose concentration at baseline in bariatric patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Increases in relative telomere length were found after bariatric surgery in the long term, presumably due to amelioration of metabolic traits. This may overrule the influence of age and baseline telomere length and facilitate telomere protection in patients experiencing pronounced weight loss.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Endocrinology (DFKE) > Clinic of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition
UniBE Contributor:	Laimer, Markus, Stettler, Christoph
Subjects:	600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health
ISSN:	0307-0565
Publisher:	Nature Publishing Group
Funders:	[UNSPECIFIED] FWF
Language:	English
Submitter:	Markus Laimer
Date Deposited:	30 Mar 2016 11:14
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:52
Publisher DOI:	10.1038/ijo.2015.238
PubMed ID:	26607038
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/77607