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The physical ability of elderly female Japanese patients with cerebrovascular disease correlates with telomere length in their peripheral blood leukocytes

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Abstract

Background and aims: The telomere length of peripheral blood leukocytes has been reported to be inversely correlated with many kinds of pathophysiological conditions. However, correlations between telomere length in peripheral blood leukocytes and patients’ physical ability are not known. Methods: To address this problem, the physical ability of patients with cerebrovascular disease admitted to the chronic disease ward of Kyushu University Hospital was assessed with the Barthel index (BI) and the telomere length of their peripheral blood leukocytes was determined. Results and conclusions: Women exhibited a significant correlation between the Barthel score and the expression of long telomeres (>9.4 Kb), in contrast with men who revealed no such correlation. The physical ability of older women was positively correlated with the lengths of their somatic telomeres. Among the BI items, the scores of more difficult physical performances tended to correlate with the presence of terminal restriction fragments longer than 9.4 Kb.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Molecular and Clinical Gerontology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 4546 Tsurumihara, Beppu, Oita, 874-0838, Japan

    Toyoki Maeda MD, Makoto Sasaki & Naoki Makino

  2. Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Geriatric Medicine, Kyushu University Hospital at Beppu, Kyushu University, Oita, Japan

    Jun-ichi Oyama

  3. Department of Rehabilitation, Kyushu University Hospital at Beppu, Kyushu University, Oita, Japan

    Yasuhiro Nishiyama, Yoshihiro Kudo, Tomoko Yamori & Takashi Nakazono

  4. Innovation of New Biomedical Engineering Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan

    Takahiro Arima

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  1. Toyoki Maeda MD
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  2. Jun-ichi Oyama
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  4. Yasuhiro Nishiyama
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  9. Naoki Makino
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Correspondence to Toyoki Maeda MD.

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Maeda, T., Oyama, Ji., Sasaki, M. et al. The physical ability of elderly female Japanese patients with cerebrovascular disease correlates with telomere length in their peripheral blood leukocytes. Aging Clin Exp Res 23, 22–28 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324949

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324949

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