Association between body temperature and leukocyte telomere length in Korean middle-aged and older adults

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Data on associations between body temperature (BT) and leukocyte telomere length (LTL), which has been widely used as a biomarker of cellular senescence in recent epidemiological studies, are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the associations between a normal BT range (35.0-37.5 degrees C) and LTL via 6-year longitudinal observations of 2,004 male and female adults aged 50 or older. METHODS: BT was obtained by measuring the tympanic temperature, and relative LTL was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Robust regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between the baseline and follow-up LTL values and their differences. RESULTS: A significant inverse association was found between BT and LTL at baseline. The regression coefficient estimate was-0.03 (95% confidence interval, -0.07 to-0.001; p < 0.05). This association was stronger in participants with a body mass index 25 kg/m(2) and males (p < 0.01). However, there were no associations between BT and LTL at follow-up or BT and 6-year longitudinal differences in LTL. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that having a high BT between 35 degrees C and 37.5 degrees C (95 degrees F and 99 degrees F) may be detrimental for obese individuals in terms of biological aging.