Smoking, telomere length and lung function decline: a longitudinal population-based study. Issue 3 (19th July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Andujar, Pascal; Courbon, Dominique; Bizard, Emilie; Marcos, Elisabeth; Adnot, Serge; Boyer, Laurent; Demoly, Pascal; Jarvis, Debbie; Neukirch, Catherine; Pin, Isabelle; Thabut, Gabriel; Boczkowski, Jorge; Leynaert, Bénédicte
• Is Part Of: Thorax. Volume 73:Issue 3(2018)
• Page Start: 283
• Page End: 285
• Publication Date: 2017-07-19
• Subjects: Tobacco and the lung -- COPD epidemiology; Chest -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Thorax; Chest -- Diseases; Periodicals; Periodicals; 617.54
• DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2017-210294
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0040-6376

Abstract

Abstract : Telomere shortening is associated with COPD and impaired lung function in cross-sectional studies, but there is no longitudinal study. We used data from 448 participants recruited as part of the French follow-up of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. We found no relationship between telomere length at baseline and FEV1 decline after 11 years of follow-up. However, heavy smoking was associated with an accelerated FEV1 decline in individuals with short telomeres, but not in subjects with longer telomeres (p for interaction p=0.08). Our findings suggest that short telomere length in peripheral leucocytes might be a marker for increased susceptibility to the effect of smoking.