Effect of an 18-Month Meditation Training on Telomeres in Older Adults: A Secondary Analysis of the Age-Well Randomized Controlled Trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Shorter telomeres are associated with increased risk of cognitive decline and age-related diseases. Developing interventions to promote healthy aging by preserving telomere integrity is of paramount importance. Here, we investigated the effect of an 18-month meditation intervention on telomere length (TL) measures in older people without cognitive impairment.

Methods

A total of 137 adults age ≥65 years were randomized to one of the 3 groups (meditation training, non-native language training, or passive control). We evaluated the 50th and 20th percentile TL and the percentage of critically short telomeres (<3 kbp) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Results

Mixed model analysis showed a time effect indicating a general decrease on the 50th percentile TL (

SUBMITTER: Kaliman P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11585798 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature