[i][b]Very Low and High Levels of Vitamin D Are Associated with Shorter Leukocyte Telomere Length in 148,321 UK Biobank Participants [/b][/i]

[helvella]

An interesting study - with obvious potential implications for vitamin D supplementation.

Very Low and High Levels of Vitamin D Are Associated with Shorter Leukocyte Telomere Length in 148,321 UK Biobank Participants

Abstract

Background: Shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is observed in multiple age-related diseases, which are also associated with vitamin D deficiency (i.e., osteosarcopenia, neurocognitive disorders, cancer, osteoarthritis, etc.), suggesting a close association between vitamin D and LTL. In this study, we examined the relationship between vitamin D levels and LTL in older participants of the UK Biobank.

Methods: Data were collected from the UK Biobank. Participants aged 60 and older (n = 148,321) were included. Baseline LTL was measured using a multiplex qPCR technique and expressed as the ratio of the telomere amplification product (T) to that of a single-copy gene (S) (T/S ratio). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) was stratified by z score and linked to LTL in a linear regression model adjusting for covariates.

Results: Compared to the medium level, a low (in the range of 16.6 nmol/L, 29.7 nmol/L) or extremely low (≤16.6 nmol/L) level of serum 25OHD was associated with shorter LTL: 0.018 SD (standardized β = −0.018, 95% CI −0.033 to −0.003, p = 0.022) and 0.048 SD (standardized β = −0.048, 95% CI −0.083 to −0.014, p = 0.006), respectively. Additionally, the high serum 25OHD groups (>95.9 nmol/L) had 0.038 SD (standardized β = −0.038, 95% CI −0.072 to −0.004, p = 0.030) shorter mean LTL than the group with medium 25OHD levels. The associations above were adjusted for multiple variables.

Conclusions: In this population-based study, we identified an inverted U-shape relationship between LTL and vitamin D status. Our findings could be affected by unmeasured confounders. Whether high or low vitamin D-associated shorter LTL is mechanistically related to age-related conditions remains to be elucidated.

Keywords:

telomerase; leukocyte telomere length; vitamin D; aging; serum levels; geroscience

Received: 21 January 2023 / Revised: 8 March 2023 / Accepted: 17 March 2023 / Published: 19 March 2023

mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/6/1474

[SarahJane1471]

that’s all gone way over my head 😂 What’s a Leukocyte?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to SarahJane1471]

White blood cells, also called leukocytes or leucocytes, are the cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders. All white blood cells are produced and derived from multipotent cells in the bone marrow known as hematopoietic stem cells. Leukocytes are found throughout the body, including the blood and lymphatic system.

[SarahJane1471 in reply to helvella]

ok we’ll that is interesting for me as my white blood cell count was low last month. 😳

Thanks for the explanation for my blonde/Monday morning head😂

[McPammy]

I’m trying to get my head around this post. I have naturally good vitamin D levels. They my results checked every 3 months are always above 100 but never over range. I’ve never taken vitamin D supplements. However, my white blood cells are always abnormally low. White blood cells started to be abnormally low when I started taking liothyronine T3 combined with my levothyroxine. I thought probably higher doses of thyroxine was causing my white blood cells to be so low. There is only one occasion when my white cells was normal and that was just after I contracted covid last year. Does any of this relate to this post please ??

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to McPammy]

It is always difficult when this sort of paper comes out. Interesting - but difficult, or impossible, to apply to individuals.

But the issue seems to be the lengths of the telomeres - the end bits - of the DNA in the leukocytes rather than the number of leukocytes.