Mitochondrial Copy Number in Immune Cells Strongly Correlates with 15-Year Mortality

We examined a random population sample in 2003/2005 (n = 9,360, age 45-69, the HAPIEE project) and followed up for 15 years. Using a nested case-control design, we selected non-external deaths among those free from baseline cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and cancer (n = 371), and a sex- and age-stratified control (n = 785). The odds ratios (ORs) of death were 1.06 per one-decile decrease in mtDNA-CN independent of age, sex, metabolic factors, smoking, alcohol intake, and education. The age-sex-adjusted ORs of death in the second and first tertiles of mtDNA-CN vs. the top tertile were 2.35 and 1.59; an increased risk was confined to the second tertile after controlling for smoking and metabolic factors. The multivariable-adjusted OR of CVD death was 1.92 in tertile 2 vs. the top tertile of mtDNA-CN, and for cancer-related death the ORs were 3.66 and 2.29 in tertiles 2 and 1 vs. the top tertile. In the Siberian population cohort, the mtDNA-CN was an inverse predictor of the 15-year risk of natural mortality, due to the greatest impact of CVD and cancer-related death. The findings merit attention for exploring further the role of mtDNA in human ageing and the diversity of mortality.
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs