Effect of Ethnicity on the Relationship Between Telomere Length and Metabolic Markers in Kuwait
Authors' conclusion
Our study underlines the significant influence of ethnicity on the interplay between telomere length and metabolic health, and emphasizes the need to incorporate ethnic background when relating telomere biology to metabolic disorders. It further highlights the potential to incorporate telomere length into clinical risk factors for diabetes.
Study context
- Population
- Individuals of Arab, South Asian or Southeast Asian descent living in Kuwait
- Participants
- 2,083 individuals
- Exposure
- Telomere length across ethnicity and metabolic markers
- Outcome
- Associations between telomere length (qPCR, peripheral blood DNA) and metabolic indicators (BMI, diabetes, HbA1c, FBG, HOMA-IR)
Methodological detailsmultiethnic cohort
- Multiethnic cohort
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Associations of telomere length (quantile regression, adjusted)
- Male sex, β (95% CI)
- −.49 (−0.85 to −0.13)
- Diabetic, β (95% CI)
- −.77 (−1.25 to −0.29)
- Age, β (95% CI)
- −.06 (−0.08 to −0.04)
- HOMA-IR, β
- −1.01 (−1.43 to −0.575) (95% CI)
- BMI, β (95% CI)
- −.11 (−0.14 to −0.083)
- HbA1c, β (95% CI)
- −.213 (−0.33 to −0.096)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Median telomere length by ethnicity
- South Asian and Southeast Asian participants had significantly higher median telomere lengths than Arabs
- Median telomere lengths varied significantly across sex, age tertiles, ethnicity, diabetes, BMI and HOMA-IR
Correlations of telomere length with metabolic markers by ethnicity
- Negative correlations with TG, HbA1c, FBG, insulin and HOMA-IR were more highly significant in South Asians than in Arabs and Southeast Asians
Original publication
Effect of Ethnicity on the Relationship Between Telomere Length and Metabolic Markers in Kuwait. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Published 11 March 2025. doi:10.
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