Use of Telomere Length as a Biomarker for Aging and Age-Related Disease

Telomeres (measured as leukocyte telomere length) can be effective and useful biomarkers for general aging status, for age-related disease diagnosis, and for disease status, but they are less effective as predictive biomarkers for patient mortality. Recent work also suggests that we may be able to intervene in this biomarker by re-lengthening telomeres, and that this intervention may have significant clinical benefits. A great deal remains unknown regarding the limits of telomere lengths as clinical biomarkers and the limits of interventions aimed at re-lengthening human telomeres.