Αρχική » Προγράμματα » Pedobesity » Δημοσιεύσεις »
Association between Telomere Length and Pediatric Obesity: A Systematic Review
Nutrients 2022, 14, 1244; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14061244
Review
Association between Telomere Length and Pediatric Obesity: A Systematic Review
Christina Raftopoulou 1, George Paltoglou 2 and Evangelia Charmandari 1,2,*
1 Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; xraftopoulou@yahoo.gr
2 Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; gpaltoglou@med.uoa.gr
* Correspondence: evangelia.charmandari@googlemail.com; Tel./Fax: +30-213-2013-384
Received: 24 January 2022, Accepted: 10 March 2022, Published: 15 March 2022
Abstract: Objective: Telomere length (TL) is a robust marker of biological aging, and increased telomere attrition is noted in adults with obesity. The primary objective of this systematic review was to summarize current knowledge on the effects of childhood obesity in TL. The secondary objective was to assess the effect of weight management interventions in TL. Methods: The following databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Heal-link.gr from inception to September 2021. The search was performed using the following combinations of terms: “telomer*” [All Fields] AND (“length” [All Fields] OR “lengths” [All Fields]) AND “obes*” [All Fields] AND (“child*” [All Fields] OR “adolescen*” [All Fields]). Results: A total of 16 original articles were included in this systematic review. Eleven of them were cross-sectional and five were lifestyle interventions. Conclusions: There was a tendency towards a negative association between childhood obesity and TL. Life-style interventions in children have been associated with increased TL peripherally, indicating a possible association of the redistribution of younger cells in the periphery with the favorable effect of these interventions. Further prospective studies with larger sample sizes that employ other markers of cell aging would potentially elucidate this important mechanistic relation.
Keywords: obesity; overweight; leukocyte telomere length; childhood; adolescence