Shortened relative leukocyte telomere length is associated with all-cause mortality in type 2 diabetes : analysis from the Hong Kong Diabetes Register

Aims: Few studies have investigated the relationship between rLTL and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes in a large prospective study, particularly in the Asian population. This study investigates the relationship between rLTL and the risk of death in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Consecutive Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (N = 5349) from the Hong Kong Diabetes Register with stored baseline DNA and available follow-up data were studied. rLTL was measured using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Mortality and clinical outcomes were obtained based on ICD-9 codes. Results: The mean (SD) age of the subjects was 57.5 (13.3) years and mean (SD) follow-up duration was 13.4 (5.5) years. Baseline rLTL was significantly shorter in the 1925 subjects who subsequently died compared with the remaining subjects (4.3 ± 1.2 vs. 4.7 ± 1.2, P < 0.001). Shorter rLTL was associated with a higher risk of mortality (HR: 1.19 (1.14–1.23), P < 0.001), which remained significant after adjusting for traditional risk factors. Conclusions: Shorter rLTL was significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause and CVD mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes, independent of established risk factors. Telomere length may be a useful biomarker for mortality risk in patients with type 2 diabetes.