James R C Parkinson1,2, Robby Emsley3, Jane L Tarry Adkins4, Nick Longford3, Susan E Ozanne4, Elaine Holmes5, Neena Modi3. 1. Section of Neonatal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Chelsea and Westminster Campus, Imperial College London, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK. j.parkinson@westminster.ac.uk. 2. Research Centre for Optimal Health, Department of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, W1W 6UW, UK. j.parkinson@westminster.ac.uk. 3. Section of Neonatal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Chelsea and Westminster Campus, Imperial College London, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK. 4. University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 OQQ, UK. 5. Department of Surgery and Cancer, South Kensington Campus, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The mechanisms responsible for the associations between very preterm birth and a higher risk of poor cardiovascular and metabolic health in adult life are unknown. METHODS: Here, we compare the clinical and molecular phenotypes of healthy, normal-weight young adults (18-27 years), born very preterm (<33 weeks gestational age (GA)) and at full-term (37-42 weeks GA). Outcomes included whole-body MRI, hepatic and muscle 1H MRS, blood pressure measurements and telomere length. RESULTS: We recruited 156 volunteers, 69 preterm (45 women; 24 men) and 87 born at full-term (45 women; 42 men). Preterm individuals had a significantly altered blood pressure profile, including higher systolic blood pressure (SBP mmHg: preterm men 133.4 ± 10.1, term men 23.0 ± 6.9; preterm women 124.3 ± 7.1, term women 118.4 ± 8.0, p < 0.01 for all). Furthermore, preterm men had fewer long telomeres (145-48.5 kb: preterm men 14.1 ± 0.9%, term men 17.8 ± 1.1%, p < 0.05; 48.5-8.6 kb: preterm men 28.2 ± 2.6, term men 37.0 ± 2.4%, p < 0.001) and a higher proportion of shorter telomeres (4.2-1.3 kb: preterm men 40.4 ± 3.5%, term men 29.9 ± 3.2%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that healthy young adults born very preterm manifest clinical and molecular evidence of accelerated ageing.
BACKGROUND: The mechanisms responsible for the associations between very preterm birth and a higher risk of poor cardiovascular and metabolic health in adult life are unknown. METHODS: Here, we compare the clinical and molecular phenotypes of healthy, normal-weight young adults (18-27 years), born very preterm (<33 weeks gestational age (GA)) and at full-term (37-42 weeks GA). Outcomes included whole-body MRI, hepatic and muscle 1H MRS, blood pressure measurements and telomere length. RESULTS: We recruited 156 volunteers, 69 preterm (45 women; 24 men) and 87 born at full-term (45 women; 42 men). Preterm individuals had a significantly altered blood pressure profile, including higher systolic blood pressure (SBP mmHg: preterm men 133.4 ± 10.1, term men 23.0 ± 6.9; preterm women 124.3 ± 7.1, term women 118.4 ± 8.0, p < 0.01 for all). Furthermore, preterm men had fewer long telomeres (145-48.5 kb: preterm men 14.1 ± 0.9%, term men 17.8 ± 1.1%, p < 0.05; 48.5-8.6 kb: preterm men 28.2 ± 2.6, term men 37.0 ± 2.4%, p < 0.001) and a higher proportion of shorter telomeres (4.2-1.3 kb: preterm men 40.4 ± 3.5%, term men 29.9 ± 3.2%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that healthy young adults born very preterm manifest clinical and molecular evidence of accelerated ageing.
Authors: E Louise Thomas; Madeleine Cule; Yi Liu; Nicolas Basty; Brandon Whitcher; Jimmy D Bell; Elena P Sorokin; Nick van Bruggen Journal: Elife Date: 2021-06-15 Impact factor: 8.140