ArticleAging cell2009
The association between leukocyte telomere length and cigarette smoking, dietary and physical variables, and risk of prostate cancer.
Article in Aging cell, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 132 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
132 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 248 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Impact of Foods, Nutrients, or Dietary Patterns on Telomere Length in Childhood and Adolescence: A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2022Pooled it
- Impact of Nutrition on Telomere Health: Systematic Review of Observational Cohort Studies and Randomized Clinical Trials.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2020Pooled it
- Cigarette smoking and telomere length: A systematic review of 84 studies and meta-analysis.Environmental research · 2017Pooled it
- Dietary patterns, food groups and telomere length: a systematic review of current studies.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2017Pooled it
- Telomere length and health outcomes: A two-sample genetic instrumental variables analysis.Experimental gerontology · 2016Pooled it
- The association between telomere length and cancer risk in population studies.Scientific reports · 2016Pooled it
- Is socioeconomic status associated with biological aging as measured by telomere length?Epidemiologic reviews · 2013Pooled it
- The association of telomere length and cancer: a meta-analysis.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2011Pooled it
- Shortened telomere length is associated with increased risk of cancer: a meta-analysis.PloS one · 2011Pooled it
- Telomere Length Change in a Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Decline: A Randomized Clinical Trial.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2021Trial
- Association of Short-term Change in Leukocyte Telomere Length With Cortical Thickness and Outcomes of Mental Training Among Healthy Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2019Trial
- Changes in stress, eating, and metabolic factors are related to changes in telomerase activity in a randomized mindfulness intervention pilot study.Psychoneuroendocrinology · 2012Trial
- Determinants of chromosome-specific telomere lengths among 2573 All of Us participants.Nature communications · 2026Article
- The Impact of Weight Loss Secondary to Bariatric Surgery on Telomere Biology: A Narrative Review.Biomedicines · 2026Review
- Phenotypic and genetically predicted leukocyte telomere length and prostate cancer risk: results from a large-scale longitudinal cohort study.Journal of global health · 2025Article
- Article
- The Notable Role of Telomere Length Maintenance in Complex Diseases.Biomedicines · 2024Review
- Telomere length exhibits inverse association with migraine among Americans aged 20-50 years, without implications beyond age 50: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Mendelian randomization evidence based on European ancestry for the causal effects of leukocyte telomere length on prostate cancer.Human genomics · 2024Article
- Nutritional Genomics and Cancer Prevention.Cancer treatment and research · 2024Review
72 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Telomeres consist of nucleotide repeats and a protein complex at chromosome ends that are essential to maintaining chromosomal integrity. Several studies have suggested that subjects with shorter telomeres are at increased risk of bladder and lung cancer. In comparison to normal tissues, telomeres are shorter in high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and prostate cancer. We examined prostate cancer risk associated with relative telomere length as determined by quantitative PCR on prediagnostic buffy coat DNA isolated from 612 advanced prostate cancer cases and 1049 age-matched, cancer-free controls from the PLCO Cancer Screening Trial. Telomere length was analyzed as both a continuous and a categorical variable with adjustment for potential confounders. Statistically significant inverse correlations between telomere length, age and smoking status were observed in cases and controls. Telomere length was not associated with prostate cancer risk (at the median, OR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.67, 1.08); associations were similar when telomere length was evaluated as a continuous variable or by quartiles. The relationships between telomere length and inflammation-related factors, diet, exercise, body mass index, and other lifestyle variables were explored since many of these have previously been associated with shorter telomeres. Healthy lifestyle factors (i.e., lower BMI, more exercise, tobacco abstinence, diets high in fruit and vegetables) tended to be associated with greater telomere length. This study found no statistically significant association between leukocyte telomere length and advanced prostate cancer risk. However, correlations of telomere length with healthy lifestyles were noted, suggesting the role of these factors in telomere biology maintenance and potentially impacting overall health status.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.