RESUMO
Introduction: Telomeres are protective end caps of chromosomes which naturally shorten with each cell division and thus with age. Short telomeres have been associated with many age-related diseases. Meditation has come to the fore as a mind-body practice which could influence the telomere dynamics underlying these phenomena. We previously reported meditation to be associated with higher telomerase levels, mindfulness and quality of life. Here, reporting on the same study population, we describe associations between long-term meditation and telomere length (TL), expression of hTERT and hTR genes and methylation of the promoter region of hTERT gene. Methods: Thirty healthy meditators and matched non-meditators were recruited. TL was measured using quantitative PCR, gene expression was assessed using reverse transcriptase PCR, and methylation level was quantified by bisulfite-specific PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. Comparisons between meditators and controls were carried out using t-tests, while Pearson correlation was used to identify correlations, and regression was used to identify predictors. Results: Males comprised 63.4% of each group with an average age of 43 years. On average, they had meditated daily for 5.82 h (±3.45) for 6.8 years (±3.27). Meditators had longer relative TLs (p = 0.020), and TL decreased with age (p < 0.001) but was not associated with other socio-demographic variables. Regression analysis showed that age (p < 0.001) and duration of meditation (p = 0.003) significantly predicted TL. The meditators showed higher relative expression of hTERT (p = 0.020) and hTR (p = 0.029) genes while the methylation level of the promoter region of hTERT gene was significantly lower when compared to non-meditators (p < 0.001). Negative correlations were identified between the methylation level of the promoter region of hTERT gene and the expression of the hTERT gene (p = 0.001) and duration of meditation (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The findings suggest that meditation as a lifestyle practice has multi-level beneficial effects on telomere dynamics with potential to promote healthy aging.
RESUMO
Meditation involves psychophysical training which can result in a range of benefits including creating a calm mind and increasing self-awareness, relaxation, and tranquility. Increasing evidence, mostly based on short-term focused interventions, suggests that meditation-based activities may also have favorable effects on physical wellbeing including cellular aging. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate if continued practice of meditation benefited quality of life, state of mindfulness, and plasma telomerase level in healthy adults. 30 long-term and skilled meditators were recruited from meditation centers in different parts of the island following a two-tier screening process of 70 eligible participants and 30 age- and gender-matched healthy non-meditators were recruited from the community. Mindfulness level and the quality of life were measured using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and Quality of Life Questionnaire, respectively, while the levels of plasma telomerase enzyme were measured using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. Skilled meditators had a better mindfulness level (p < 0.001) and quality of life (QOL; p < 0.001) than those in the comparison group. Similarly, higher plasma telomerase levels were observed in skilled meditators compared to non-meditators (p = 0.002). Trait mindfulness level and plasma telomerase level showed a significant relationship with the duration of meditation practice (p = 0.046 and p = 0.011, respectively). Regression analysis indicated that trait mindfulness level (p < 0.001) significantly predicts the plasma telomerase level. The findings of this comparative study add to the evidence on sustained benefits of meditation on wellbeing and healthy aging and supports incorporating meditation-based activities into lifestyle practices.