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Meta-analysis of telomere length in 19,713 subjects reveals high heritability, stronger maternal inheritance and a paternal age effect
Open accessAbstract
Telomere length (TL) has been associated with aging and mortality, but individual differences are also influenced by genetic factors, with previous studies reporting heritability estimates ranging from 34 to 82%. Here we investigate the heritability, mode of inheritance and the influence of parental age at birth on TL in six large, independent cohort studies with a total of 19,713 participants. The meta-analysis estimate of TL heritability was 0.70 (95% CI 0.64-0.76) and is based on a pattern of results that is highly similar for twins and other family members. We observed a stronger mother-offspring (r=0.42; P-value=3.60 × 10(-61)) than father-offspring correlation (r=0.33; P-value=7.01 × 10(-5)), and a significant positive association with paternal age at offspring birth (β=0.005; P-value=7.01 × 10(-5)). Interestingly, a significant and quite substantial correlation in TL between spouses (r=0.25; P-value=2.82 × 10(-30)) was seen, which appeared stronger in older spouse pairs (mean age ≥55 years; r=0.31; P-value=4.27 × 10(-23)) than in younger pairs (mean age<55 years; r=0.20; P-value=3.24 × 10(-10)). In summary, we find a high and very consistent heritability estimate for TL, evidence for a maternal inheritance component and a positive association with paternal age.
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“In a recent meta-analysis, TL heritability was estimated to be 0.7 (Broer et al., 2013).”
From Psychiatric disorders and leukocyte telomere length: Underlying mechanisms linking mental illness with cellular aging (2015) · cites this paper as Broer et al., 2013
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Metadata
- Authors
- Broer, L., Codd, V., Nyholt, D. R., Deelen, J., Mangino, M., Willemsen, G., Albrecht, E., Amin, N., Beekman, M., de Geus, E. J. C., Henders, A., Nelson, C. P., Steves, C. J., Wright, M. J., de Craen, A. J. M., Isaacs, A., Matthews, M., Moayyeri, A., Montgomery, G. W., Oostra, B. A., Vink, J. M., Spector, T. D., Slagboom, P. E., Martin, N. G., Samani, N. J., van Duijn, C. M., & Boomsma, D. I.
- Affiliations
- Leiden University Medical Center (NL)
- University of Leicester (GB)
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute (AU)
- King's College London (GB)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- Helmholtz Munich (DE)
- Erasmus MC (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Boomsma, Dorret I
- ORCID
- Broer, Linda
- Codd, Veryan
- Nyholt, Dale R
- Deelen, Joris
- Mangino, Massimo
- Willemsen, Gonneke
- Amin, Najaf
- Beekman, Marian
- Henders, Anjali
- Nelson, Christopher P
- Steves, Claire J
- Isaacs, Aaron
- Moayyeri, Alireza
- Montgomery, Grant W
- Vink, Jacqueline M
- Spector, Tim D
- Slagboom, P Eline
- Martin, Nicholas G
- Samani, Nilesh J
- Boomsma, Dorret I
- Venue
- European Journal of Human Genetics
- Published
- 2013-01-16
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1163-1168
- ISSN
- 1018-4813 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-5438
- PMC
- PMC3778341
- OpenAlex
- W2110405237
- Cited by
- 450
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 39 · 2021: 55 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 37 · 2018: 43 · 2017: 31 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 47 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 9
- FWCI
- 4.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- European Journal of Human Genetics (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (publishedVersion)
- VU Research Portal (publishedVersion)
- EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion)
- RePub (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Site cant be reached (submittedVersion)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust (FP7/2007–2013)
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (FP7/2007–2013)
- British Heart Foundation
- King's College London
- European Commission (FP7/2007-2011, 2007–2013, 230374, FP7 2007-2013, 201413, FP7/2007, 259679)
- ZonMw (Addiction‐31160008, Middelgroot‐911‐09‐032, 985-10-002, 400‐05‐717, 56-464-14192, 184.021.007, 904-61-193, 911‐09‐032, 904-61-090, 31160008, 480‐04‐004, 050-060-810)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (FP7/2007-2013, 2008.024)
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (184021007, 400‐05‐717, 050.060.810, 904-61-193, 904-61-090, FP7 2007-2013, 311-60008, 56‐464‐14192, Addiction-31160008, Spinozapremie 56-464-14192, 985-10002, 480-04-004, 904-61-090, 985-10-002)
- Centre for Medical Systems Biology
- Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre
- National Institutes of Health (FP7/2007-2013, 184.021.007, ERC 230374, 400-05-717)
- Medical Research Council
- Australian Research Council (FT0991022)
- National Health and Medical Research Council (496739, 619667)
- National Eye Institute
- FP7 Ideas: European Research Council (284167)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
- Keywords
- telomere length, heritability, maternal inheritance, paternal age, mode of inheritance, twin studies, family studies, aging, mortality
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Paternal Age, Pedigree, Twins, Case-Control Studies, Telomere, Inheritance Patterns, Telomere Shortening
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