Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences Large Type Edition
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The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 60:1593-1596 (2005)
© 2005 The Gerontological Society of America

Aldosterone and Telomere Length in White Blood Cells

Athanase Benetos1,, Jeffrey P. Gardner2, Masayuki Kimura2, Carlos Labat1, Rosine Nzietchueng1, Brigitte Dousset1, Faiez Zannad1, Patrick Lacolley1 and Abraham Aviv2

1 INSERM Unit 684, University of Nancy, France.
2 Hypertension Research Center, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark.

Address correspondence to Athanase Benetos, MD, PhD, Centre de Geriatrie, Hôpital Brabois, University of Nancy, 54511 Nancy-les-Vandoeuvre, France. E-mail: a.benetos{at}chu-nancy.fr

Background. Aldosterone accelerates cardiovascular aging by mechanisms that generate reactive oxygen species. Telomere length in white blood cells (WBCs) may be a bioindicator that registers the accruing burden of systemic oxidative stress. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to examine the relationship between plasma aldosterone and telomere length in WBCs.

Methods. We studied 75 normotensive and never-treated mildly hypertensive men whose blood was drawn for the measurements of plasma aldosterone concentration and the terminal restriction fragment (TRF) length in WBCs.

Results. The slope of the TRF–age relationship in the entire cohort showed a decrease in telomere length of 26 ± 5 base pairs per year (r = –0.46, p <.001). Age-adjusted TRF length was the longest in the lowest aldosterone quartile (6.74 ± 0.12 kb) and shortest in the highest aldosterone quartile (6.36 ± 0.11 kb), with intermediate TRF lengths in the second and third aldosterone quartiles (analysis of variance [ANOVA] trend test, p =.025). In telomeric attrition equivalence, participants in the upper aldosterone quartile were 15 years older than their peers in the lowest quartile.

Conclusions. The inverse relationship between aldosterone and WBC telomere length suggests not only that aldosterone is pro-oxidant but that elevated concentrations of this hormone might be linked to a higher rate of telomere attrition and perhaps increased biological aging in humans.




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