Shorter Telomere Length Linked to Increased Risk of Stroke, Dementia, Depression

A recent study published in Stroke found that shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is linked to an increased risk of stroke, dementia, and late-life depression. Researchers analyzed data from over 356,000 UK Biobank participants and observed that individuals with the shortest LTL had an 8% higher risk of stroke, a 19% higher risk of dementia, and a 14% higher risk of late-life depression. Overall, shorter LTL was associated with an 11% greater likelihood of developing at least one of these conditions. However, the study also found that a high Brain Care Score—reflecting healthy lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and stress management—could mitigate these risks. In individuals with strong lifestyle habits, the association between shorter telomeres and brain-related diseases was not significant. These findings suggest that while telomere shortening reflects biological aging, maintaining a healthy lifestyle may help reduce the impact of aging-related brain diseases.