ArticlePharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior2023
A pilot study examining the relationship between chronic heroin use and telomere length among individuals of African ancestry.
Article in Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.
- Telomere Dynamics in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Critical Synthesis.Biomedicines · 2025Review
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPrior research has suggested a possible link between heroin use and shortened telomere length (TL), a marker of cellular aging and genomic stability. We sought to replicate these findings by examining the relationship between TL and heroin use among individuals of African ancestry.
methodsThis cross-sectional study examined TL among 57 participants [17.5 % female; mean age 48.0 (±6.80) years] of African ancestry with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and a mean heroin use duration of 18.2 (±10.7) years. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to calculate TL as the ratio between telomere repeat copy number (T) and a single-copy gene, copy number (S). The primary dependent variable was TL (T/S Ratio) measured in kilobase pairs. Covariates included heroin use years and personality traits. Using a hybrid approach, multiple linear regression and Bayesian linear regression examined the association of chronological age, heroin use years and personality traits with TL.
resultsThe multiple linear regression model fit the data well, R
conclusionsContrary to prior studies, these findings suggest that heroin use duration may not be significantly associated with TL among individuals of African ancestry, highlighting the need for more rigorous research to elucidate the complexity of this relationship.
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