NEW research suggests that healthy lifestyle choices could reduce the risk of stroke, dementia, and late-life depression (LLD) in individuals with biologically shorter telomeres, a marker of accelerated ageing.
Age-related brain diseases such as stroke, dementia, and LLD contribute substantially to global public health burdens. Leucocyte telomere length (LTL), a known marker of biological ageing, is influenced by both genetic and modifiable factors. This UK Biobank study analysed data from over 350,000 participants to determine the association between LTL and these brain diseases, both individually and combined. Researchers also assessed whether risk mitigation through the Brain Care Score (BCS), a composite of lifestyle factors, could alter these associations. Outcomes were examined using Cox models, incidence rates, and cumulative incidence curves, then analysed with Mendelian randomisation to test for causality.
Among 356,173 participants (median age: 56 years; 53.7% female), those in the shortest LTL tertile had consistently higher incidence rates for all outcomes. Compared to those with longer telomeres, they showed increased risks for the composite outcome (HR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.08–1.15), stroke (HR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02–1.15), dementia (HR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.12–1.26), and LLD (HR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.09–1.18). Importantly, participants with both shorter LTL and poor lifestyle profiles (low BCS ≤10) were at even greater risk; for example, dementia risk rose to HR 1.17 (95% CI 1.08–1.28). In contrast, those with high BCS (≥15) in the same short LTL group did not exhibit significantly increased risk. Mendelian randomisation did not support a causal relationship between LTL and disease, suggesting LTL may be a biomarker rather than a driver.
These findings highlight the potential for lifestyle modification to mitigate the effects of biological ageing on brain health. Even in individuals with short telomeres, healthier lifestyle choices appear to offer meaningful protection against age-related neurological disease.
Reference
Kimball TN et al. Association of leucocyte telomere length with stroke, dementia, and late-life depression: the role of modifiable risk factors. Neurology. 2025;105(1):e213794.
