Database study on telomere length and MLTCs

Why the research is needed

As we get older, our bodies change, not only on the outside, but also at the cellular level. One way to measure how our bodies are ageing is looking at the telomere length. Telomeres are protective caps at the end of our chromosomes that keep our DNA stable. Each time our cells divide, the telomeres get shorter, eventually they become too short and the cells stop working properly or die. This process reflects our ‘biological age’, which can be different from our actual age in years.

The prevalence of multiple long-term conditions (MLTC), such as heart disease, diabetes or dementia, is high in older adults but people don’t all age in the same way. For example, a 60-year-old man might have several long-term health conditions, while another of the same age might be healthy with no conditions. In our earlier research, we explored whether lifestyle factors such as regular physical activity, a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol and smoking could explain these differences. But another explanation is their ‘biological age’ measured by telomere length.

That’s why our research is important, as we aim to answer key questions such as:

• Why do some people develop long-term conditions earlier than others, and is this based on their telomere length?
• Which disease combinations (e.g., heart and metabolic conditions) have the biggest effect on telomere length?
• How is telomere length related to the life expectancy in people with MLTC, and what role do lifestyle behaviours play?

What is already known about the subject

Research has shown that people with shorter telomere length may be at a higher risk of developing MLTCs and may even have a shorter lifespan. However, it remains unclear why this happens in some people and not others. This is a new area in biomedical science, and more research is needed.

Who we will be working with

The project will be led by the Leicester Real World Evidence Unit and the NIHR ARC East Midlands. It will involve a multidisciplinary team including epidemiologists, clinicians, health data scientists, researchers, and experts in genetic science.

How patients and the public are involved

While preparing this study, clinician representatives provided feedback on the project’s objectives and confirmed they were clinically important. As this project is novel, a mixed panel of stakeholders will be set up at this stage, rather than a traditional patient and public panel. The panel will include a combination of academics, clinicians, healthcare professionals, and patients and public representatives, who will help evaluate their understanding of the area and our project findings. The group will be supported and facilitated by the NIHR ARC East Midlands and the Centre for Ethnic Health Research.

What we will do 

We will use data from the UK Biobank, which includes health and genetic information from half a million adults aged 40 to 69 years across the UK. This resource holds the largest dataset globally for measured telomere lengths, making it a valuable database for studying biological ageing and MLTC. We will analyse this data to explore the relationship between telomere length and MLTC.

What the benefits will be

This project will help us understand the link between biological ageing and MLTC, and could lead to better ways to prevent and manage long-term conditions in the future.

When the findings will be available

The findings will be available from March 2026.

How we are planning for implementation 

We will share our research findings at national or international scientific conferences. To reach a wider audience, we will disseminate our results through several existing channels, including the NIHR communications team, the University of Leicester press office, and our PPIE members. To make the findings accessible and easy to understand, we will also create an infographic that clearly explains the research in lay terms. 

Contact

Dr Yogini Chudasama, yc244@leicester.ac.uk.