Gravidity is not associated with telomere length in a biracial cohort of middle-aged women: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Having experienced 2-3 births is associated with reduced mortality versus women with <2 or ≥4 births. The effect of 2-3 births on lifespan may be associated with delayed cellular aging. We hypothesized telomere length, a marker of cellular aging, would be longer in women who had 2-3 pregnancies.

Methods

Leukocyte telomere length was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in 620 women in CARDIA at the year 15 and 20 exams, expressed as the ratio of telomere repeat copy number to single-copy gene copy number (T/S). Number of pregnancies at the time of telomere length measurement was obtained (mean age = 41±0.1 years, average gravidity = 2.64±0.1 pregnancies). Participants were divided into 4 groups by number of pregnancies: 0, 1, 2-3, and ≥4,

SUBMITTER: Lane-Cordova AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5648190 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature