The effects of aspirin and N-3 fatty acids on telomerase activity in adults with diabetes mellitus.

ABSTRACT

Type 2 Diabetes mellitus is associated with aging and shortened telomere length. Telomerase replaces lost telomeric repeats at the ends of chromosomes and is necessary for the replicative immortality of cells. Aspirin and the n3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are commonly used therapies in people with type 2 diabetes for reducing cardiovascular disease events, though their relation to telomerase activity is not well studied. We explored the effects of aspirin, EPA + DHA, and the combined effects of aspirin and EPA + DHA treatment on telomerase activity in 30 adults with diabetes mellitus. EPA and DHA ingestion alone increased telomerase activity then a decrease occurred with the addition of aspirin consumption. Crude (F-stat = 2.09, p = 0.13) and adjusted (F-stat = 2.20, p = 0.14) analyses of this decrease showed signs of a trend. These results suggest that aspirin has an adverse effect on aging in diabetics who have relatively high EPA and DHA ingestion.