| Title: | Shorter leukocyte telomere length is associated with adverse COVID-19 outcomes: A cohort study in UK Biobank |
| Journal: | EBioMedicine |
| Published: | 23 Jul 2021 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34304048/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103485 |
| URL: | ~Ehttps://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10140194/1/Shorter%20leukocyte%20telomere%20length%20is%20associated%20with%20adverse%20COVID-19%20outcomes%20A%20cohort%20study%20in%20UK%20Biobank.pdf~ |
Publication 5749
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Abstract
Background Older age is the most powerful risk factor for adverse coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) outcomes. It is uncertain whether leucocyte telomere length (LTL), previously proposed as a marker of biological age, is also associated with COVID-19 outcomes. Methods We associated LTL values obtained from participants recruited into UK Biobank (UKB) during 2006-2010 with adverse COVID-19 outcomes recorded by 30 November 2020, defined as a composite of any of the following: hospital admission, need for critical care, respiratory support, or mortality. Using information on 130 LTL-associated genetic variants, we conducted exploratory Mendelian randomisation (MR) analyses in UKB to evaluate whether observational associations might reflect cause-and-effect relationships. Findings Of 6775 participants in UKB who tested positive for infection with SARS-CoV-2 in the community, there were 914 (13.5%) with adverse COVID-19 outcomes. The odds ratio (OR) for adverse COVID-19 outcomes was 1·17 (95% CI 1·05-1·30; P = 0·004) per 1-SD shorter usual LTL, after adjustment for age, sex and ethnicity. Similar ORs were observed in analyses that: adjusted for additional risk factors; disaggregated the composite outcome and reduced the scope for selection or collider bias. In MR analyses, the OR for adverse COVID-19 outcomes was directionally concordant but non-significant. Interpretation Shorter LTL is associated with higher risk of adverse COVID-19 outcomes, independent of several major risk factors for COVID-19 including age. Further data are needed to determine whether this association reflects causality. Funding UK Medical Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and British Heart Foundation.</p>
14 Keywords
- Aged
- Biological Specimen Banks
- COVID-19
- Cohort Studies
- Female
- Humans
- Leukocytes
- Male
- Mendelian Randomization Analysis
- Middle Aged
- Risk Factors
- SARS-CoV-2
- Telomere
- United Kingdom
16 Authors
- Qingning Wang
- Veryan Codd
- Zahra Raisi-Estabragh
- Crispin Musicha
- Vasiliki Bountziouka
- Stephen Kaptoge
- Elias Allara
- Emanuele Di Angelantonio
- Adam S. Butterworth
- Angela M. Wood
- John R. Thompson
- Steffen E Petersen
- Nicholas C. Harvey
- John N. Danesh
- Nilesh J. Samani
- Christopher P. Nelson
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 6077 | Telomere length measurement in UK Biobank: advancing understanding of biological ageing and age-related diseases |
Enabling scientific discoveries that improve human health