Association between non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and telomere length: the NHANES 1999–2002

BackgroundThe relationship between non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHHR) and telomere length (TL) remains unclear. This study aims to investigate their association in a nationally representative US population.MethodsData from 6,342 adults aged...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mingjie Liu, Chendong Wang, Bai Wei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2024.1407452/full
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Summary:BackgroundThe relationship between non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHHR) and telomere length (TL) remains unclear. This study aims to investigate their association in a nationally representative US population.MethodsData from 6,342 adults aged ≥20 were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2002. The NHHR was calculated and categorized into tertiles. TL was measured as the telomere-to-standard reference DNA ratio. Multivariate linear regression and smooth curve fitting were employed to assess the association between NHHR and TL.ResultsThe study population (mean age 45.1 ± 0.4 years, 48.9% male) was stratified into NHHR tertiles. Compared with the lowest NHHR tertile, the highest NHHR tertile was associated with adverse inflammatory and cardiometabolic profiles, including elevated white blood cell counts (6.88 ± 0.07–7.54 ± 0.08 × 109/L) and increased prevalence of hypertension (18.81%–25.71%) and diabetes (3.38%–7.17%). An elevated NHHR was significantly associated with a shorter TL (T/S ratio: 1.09 ± 0.02–1.03 ± 0.02; P = 0.0005). This association remained significant in partially adjusted models but was attenuated in a fully adjusted model. Significant interactions were observed for age and hypertension status.ConclusionThis study revealed a linear inverse association between NHHR and TL, suggesting the utility of the NHHR as a novel biomarker for biological aging. Further prospective studies are warranted to validate these findings.
ISSN:2297-055X