A study on telomere length and 25-hydroxy vitamin D in association with glycaemic status in patients with diabetes mellitus
Background & Aims: Telomere length is affected by vitamin D levels, and a relationship exists between telomere length and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a condition associated with aging. This study aimed to investigate the connection between telomere length and 25(OH)D levels in diabetic indi...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Urmia University of Medical Sciences
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Research in Applied and Basic Medical Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ijrabms.umsu.ac.ir/article-1-399-en.pdf |
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| Summary: | Background & Aims: Telomere length is affected by vitamin D levels, and a relationship exists between telomere length and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a condition associated with aging. This study aimed to investigate the connection between telomere length and 25(OH)D levels in diabetic individuals exhibiting various glycaemic profiles.
Materials & Methods: Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and vitamin D concentrations were measured in a cohort of 60 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), as well as in a control group of age-matched healthy individuals without diabetes. The analysis of telomere length was performed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).
Results: The findings revealed that the average telomere length (kb/genome) was significantly decreased in the diabetic group in comparison with the control group (diabetics: 4.21 ± 1.45 [3.29 - 4.65]; controls: 5.35 ± 1.85 [4.27-6.28]). Vitamin D levels were found to be notably lower in the diabetic cases (20.2 ± 8.5 vs. 51.52 ± 11.5, P = 0.0001). In the diabetic cohort, the Telomere length exhibited a significant negative correlation with HbA1c (rho = -0.97; P = 0.0002) and fasting blood sugar levels (rho = -0.95; P = 0.0003). Patients receiving insulin treatment demonstrated shorter telomere lengths compared to those on oral medication (4.32 ± 1.51 vs. 5.19 ± 1.71, P = 0.07). Insulin-treated individuals also had lower vitamin D levels than their orally treated counterparts (21.5 ± 9.5 vs. 50.8 ± 12.5, P = 0.004).
Discussion: The findings reveal an inverse relationship between HbA1c levels and telomere length, highlighting a possible connection between glycemic control and cellular aging in diabetic individuals. Furthermore, although there is an indication that vitamin D deficiency may influence telomere shortening, the observed correlation is rather weak.
Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency, as well as higher HbA1c levels shortens the Telomere length; therefore, Vitamin D supplementation with optimized glycaemic control may contribute to preserving the telomere integrity in diabetic individuals. |
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| ISSN: | 2717-0098 |