Leukocyte Telomere Length and Cardiac Structure and Function: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Background: Existing research demonstrates the association of shorter leukocyte telomere length with increased risk of age-related health outcomes including cardiovascular diseases. However, the direct causality of these relationships has not been definitively established. Cardiovascular aging at an organ level may be captured using image-derived phenotypes of cardiac anatomy and function.

Methods And Results: In the current study, we use 2-sample Mendelian randomization to assess the causal link between leukocyte telomere length and 54 cardiac magnetic resonance imaging measures representing structure and function across the 4 cardiac chambers. Genetically predicted shorter leukocyte telomere length was causally linked to smaller ventricular cavity sizes including left ventricular end-systolic volume, left ventricular end-diastolic volume, lower left ventricular mass, and pulmonary artery. The association with left ventricular mass ( =0.217, P=0.016) remained significant after multiple testing adjustment, whereas other associations were attenuated.

Conclusions: Our findings support a causal role for shorter leukocyte telomere length and faster cardiac aging, with the most prominent relationship with left ventricular mass.