Telomere Shortening Linked to Alzheimer's in Brain Scans

Shorter telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that shorten as cells age, are associated with multiple changes in the brain associated with dementia, according to a new study. The study compared telomere length in white blood cells to results from brain MRIs and electronic health records from more than 31,000 participants in the UK Biobank. The findings show that longer telomeres can be linked to better brain health and may help protect patients from developing dementia. The associations suggest that accelerated aging in the brain, as indicated by telomere length, could represent a biological pathway that leads to neurodegenerative disease.