Midlife cardiovascular health factors as predictors of retirement age, work-loss years, and years spent in retirement among older businessmen.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of premature retirement. However, the relationship between CVD risk factors and workforce participation is not well known. We studied the relationship between midlife CVD risk, age at retirement, work-loss years, and survival in retirement. Middle-aged Finnish men (initial n = 3490, mean age = 47.8 years) were assessed for CVD risk factors and general health in the 1970s. They worked as business executives and provided information on their retirement status in the year 2000. Survival was followed up to the 9th decade of life with a follow-up of up to 44 years. Work-loss years were calculated as death or retirement occurring at age ≤ 65 years. Smoking, body mass index, and alcohol use were used as covariates, excluding models of CVD risk, which were adjusted for alcohol use only. Higher risk of 10-year fatal CVD was associated with 0.32 more years (relative risk < 1 vs. 1, covariate-adjusted ß = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.13, 0.53) of work-loss. Higher risk of 5-year incident (covariate-adjusted time-constant HR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.19, 1.47) and 10-year fatal (covariate-adjusted time-dependent HR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.30, 1.85) CVD in midlife were associated with fewer years spent in retirement. Poorer self-rated health and physical fitness and higher levels of triglycerides were associated with increased hazard of earlier retirement, more work-loss years, and fewer years spent in retirement. Poorer health and greater midlife CVD risk may be associated with earlier exit from the workforce and fewer years spent in retirement. Management of CVD risk in midlife may support people to work longer.

Retirement as a predictor of physical functioning trajectories among older businessmen.

BACKGROUND: Associations between retirement characteristics and consequent physical functioning (PF) are poorly understood, particularly in higher socioeconomic groups, where postponing retirement has had both positive and negative implications for PF. METHODS: Multiple assessments of PF, the first of which at the mean age of 73.3 years, were performed on 1709 men who were retired business executives and managers, using the RAND-36/SF-36 instrument, between 2000 and 2010. Questionnaire data on retirement age and type of pension was gathered in 2000. Five distinct PF trajectories were created using latent growth mixture modelling. Mortality- and covariate-adjusted multinomial regression models were used to estimate multinomial Odds Ratios (mOR) on the association between retirement characteristics and PF trajectories. RESULTS: A one-year increase in retirement age was associated with decreased likelihood of being classified in the 'consistently low' (fully adjusted mOR = 0.82; 95%CI = 0.70, 0.97; P = 0.007), 'intermediate and declining' (mOR = 0.89; 95%CI = 0.83, 0.96; P = 0.002), and 'high and declining' (mOR = 0.92; 95%CI = 0.87, 0.98; P = 0.006) trajectories, relative to the 'intact' PF trajectory. Compared to old age pensioners, disability pensioners were more likely to be classified in the 'consistently low' (mOR = 23.77; 95% CI 2.13, 265.04; P = 0.010), 'intermediate and declining' (mOR = 8.24; 95%CI = 2.58, 26.35; P < 0.001), and 'high and declining' (mOR = 2.71; 95%CI = 1.17, 6.28; P = 0.020) PF trajectories, relative to the 'intact' PF trajectory. CONCLUSIONS: Among executives and managers, older age at retirement was associated with better trajectories of PF in old age. Compared to old age pensioners, those transitioning into disability and early old age pensions were at risk of having consistently lower PF in old age.

Retirement age and type as predictors of frailty: a retrospective cohort study of older businessmen.

OBJECTIVES: To study the association between retirement characteristics and frailty in a homogenous population of former business executives. DESIGN: Cross-sectional cohort study using data from the Helsinki Businessmen Study. SETTING: Helsinki, Finland. PARTICIPANTS: 1324 Caucasian men, born in 1919-1934, who had worked as business executives and managers and of whom 95.9% had retired by the year 2000. Questions on age at and type of retirement, lifestyle and chronic conditions were embedded in questionnaires. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Frailty assessed according to a modified phenotype definition at mean age 73.3 years. RESULTS: Mean age at retirement was 61.3 years (SD 4.3) and 37.1% had retired due to old age. The prevalence of frailty was lowest among men retiring at ages 66-67 years but increased among those who worked up to age 70 years or older. Compared with men who retired before age 55 years, those retiring at ages 58-69 years were at decreased risk of frailty in old age relative to non-frailty (adjusted ORs 0.07-0.29, p<0.05). Compared with men who transitioned into old age retirement, those who retired due to disability were at increased risk of prefrailty (adjusted OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.32) and frailty (adjusted OR 3.52, 95% CI 1.97 to 6.29), relative to non-frailty. CONCLUSION: Exiting working life early and continuing to be occupationally active until age 70 years and older were both associated with increased risk of frailty among the men. Promotion of longer work careers could, however, promote healthier ageing, as the lowest prevalence of frailty was observed in former business executives who retired at ages 66-67 years.

Associations of overweight and metabolic health with successful aging: 32-year follow-up of the Helsinki Businessmen Study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Prognostic significance of metabolically healthy overweight and obesity (MHO) is under debate. However the relationship between MHO and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is less studied. We compared successful aging (longevity plus HRQoL) in men with MHO, metabolically healthy normal weight (MHN) and metabolically unhealthy overweight and obesity (MUO). METHODS: In the Helsinki Businessmen Study longitudinal cohort, consisting of men born 1919 to 1934. In 1985/86, overweight (BMI≥25 kg/m2) and metabolic health were determined in 1309 men (median age 60 years). HRQoL was assessed using RAND-36/SF-36 in 2000 and 2007, and all-cause mortality retrieved from registers up to 2018. The proportion of men reaching 90 years was also calculated. RESULTS: Of the men, 469 (35.8%), 538 (41.1%), 276 (21.1%), and 26 (2.0%) were MHN, MHO, MUO and MUN, respectively. During the 32-year follow-up, 72.3% men died. With MHN as reference, adjusted hazard ratio with all-cause mortality was 1.08 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93 to 1.27) for MHO, and 1.18 (95% CI 0.95 to 1.47) for MUO. During follow-up, 273 men reached 90 years. With MHN as reference, adjusted odds ratio for MHO was 0.82 (95% CI 0.59 to 1.14) and 0.62 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.95) for MUO. Men in MHN group scored generally highest in RAND-36 HRQoL subscales in 2000 and 2007, of those significantly better in Physical functioning, Role physical, Role emotional, Bodily Pain, and General health sub-scales compared to MHO group in 2000. CONCLUSIONS: As compared to MHN, MHO in late midlife does not increase mortality, but impairs odds for successful aging.

Statin Treatment Is Associated With a Neutral Effect on Health-Related Quality of Life Among Community-Dwelling Octogenarian Men: The Helsinki Businessmen Study.

Background: Statin treatment is common among 80+ people, but little is known about statin effects on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in this oldest age group. Methods: In the Helsinki Businessmen Study (HBS), men born from 1919 to 1934 (original n = 3,490), have been followed-up since the 1960s. In 2015, a questionnaire about lifestyle, diseases, and medications, and including RAND-36/SF-36 HRQoL instrument was mailed to survivors. About 612 men (72.6%) responded, 530 of them reporting their medications (98% community-living). Propensity score analysis was used to compare statin users and nonusers for HRQoL. Results: We compared 229 current statin users (median age 85 years, interquartile range 84-88 years) with 301 nonusers (86; 84-89 years). Current statin users had had significantly higher serum cholesterol level in midlife (p < .001), but current lifestyle-related characteristics were similar in users and nonusers. Statin users reported more hypertension (61.1%, p < .001), diabetes (23.6%, p <.001), and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD, 33.6%, p <.001), than nonusers. Statin users reported higher mean scores than nonusers in all eight RAND-36 subscales, but after adjustments for multiplicity and a propensity score we found no significant differences between statin users and nonusers. Stratification for primary (no ASCVD) and secondary (with CVD) prevention supported the main results. Conclusions: Our study suggests that statin treatment has no significant effect on health-related quality of life among octogenarian, community-dwelling men. The results contradict concerns about statin treatment in the oldest-old, and may caution against deprescribing of statins due to old age alone.

Alcohol consumption in midlife and old age and risk of frailty: Alcohol paradox in a 30-year follow-up study.

Background: alcohol consumption has many harmful health effects, but also benefits of moderate consumption on frailty have been reported. We examined this relationship longitudinally from midlife to old age. Methods: data of reported alcohol consumption in midlife (year 1974) and in old age (years 2000 and 2003) were available of a socioeconomically homogenous sample of 2360 men (born 1919-34, the Helsinki Businessmen Study). Alcohol consumption was divided into zero (N = 131 at baseline), light (1-98 g/week, N = 920), moderate (99-196, N = 593), and high consumption (>196, n = 716). Incidence of phenotypic frailty and prefrailty was assessed in 2000 and 2003. Alcohol consumption (reference 1-98 g/week, adjusted for age, body mass index and smoking) was related to frailty both longitudinally (from 1974 to 2000, and from 2000 to 2003) and cross-sectionally in 2000 and 2003. Results: during a 30-year follow-up, high consumption clearly decreased whereas lighter consumption remained stable. High consumption in midlife predicted both frailty (odds ratio = 1.61, 95% confidence interval = 1.01-2.56) and prefrailty (1.42; 1.06-1.92) in 2000, association with zero and moderate consumption was insignificant. Cross-sectionally in 2000, both zero (2.08; 1.17-3.68) and high consumption (1.83; 1.07-3.13) were associated with frailty, while in 2003 only zero consumption showed this association (2.47; 1.25-4.88). Conclusion: the relationship between alcohol and frailty is a paradox during the life course. High, not zero, consumption in midlife predicts old age frailty, while zero consumption in old age is associated with frailty, probably reflecting reverse causality.

Cardiovascular risk factors and glucose tolerance in midlife and risk of cognitive disorders in old age up to a 49-year follow-up of the Helsinki businessmen study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to compare midlife predictors of old age dementia with or without concomitant atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). DESIGN: In the Helsinki Businessmen Study (men born in 1919-1934, n = 3309), death certificates (n = 1885) during up to 49-year follow-up (through 31 December 2013) were screened for dementia (n = 365) and ASCVD, and categorized as (1) AD without ASCVD ("pure" AD, n = 93), (2) AD + ASCVD (n = 126), (3) vascular dementia (VD, n = 82), (4) other or undefined etiology (n = 64). Using Cox analyses, death without dementia and dementia types were compared for the prediction by midlife ASCVD risk factors. Men without diagnosed dementia during follow-up were used as reference. RESULTS: ASCVD risk factors predicted death without dementia during follow-up. Midlife cholesterol was higher in AD + ASCVD and VD as compared with men surviving to old age without known dementia. None of the midlife factors including cholesterol and glucose tolerance predicted pure AD, but midlife cholesterol predicted AD + ASCVD, both as a continuous (hazard ratio [HR] per SD 1.24, 95% CI, 1.04-1.47), and dichotomous variable (cutpoint 6.5 mmol/L; HR 1.67, 95% CI, 1.16-2.40). CONCLUSION: Midlife cholesterol predicted dementia with vascular features, but midlife vascular risk factors and glucose intolerance were not related to pure Alzheimer disease without concomitant atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Key messages Heterogenous etiology of dementia, which in old age is usually a clinical diagnosis, may confound the role of long-term risk factors. In a longitudinal study with autopsy records, midlife cholesterol predicted dementia with features of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease but not "pure" Alzheimer disease Glucose tolerance in midlife was not associated with pure Alzheimer's disease.

Insulins NPH, glargine, and detemir, and risk of severe hypoglycemia among working-age adults.

INTRODUCTION: The longer acting basal insulin analogs glargine and detemir have shown a lower incidence of hypoglycemia compared to insulin NPH in clinical studies. We evaluated the real-life risk of severe hypoglycemia among new users of insulins in the working-age population in Finland. METHODS: All persons aged 18-65 years with diabetes mellitus who were newly prescribed with insulins NPH, glargine, or detemir during 2006-2009, were identified from national registers. Risk of severe hypoglycemia requiring hospital care was compared between insulin types. RESULTS: A total of 16,985 persons initiated basal insulin treatment (5586, 7499, and 3900 patients started NPH, glargine, and detemir, respectively) during follow-up. Five hundred and thirty-six persons were hospitalized because of severe hypoglycemia. Absolute rate (per 1000 patient-years) was 20.6 (95% CI 17.9, 23.8), 17.8 (15.6, 20.3), and 12.4 (9.9, 15.5) for NPH, glargine, and detemir initiators, respectively. With NPH as reference, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was 0.92 (95% CI 0.74, 1.15, p = 0.47) for glargine, and 0.70 (0.51, 0.94, p= 0.018) for detemir. The HR for detemir compared to glargine was 0.76 (0.58, 0.99, p = 0.040). CONCLUSIONS: Initiating insulin treatment with detemir, but not with glargine, was associated with a significantly lower risk of severe hypoglycemia compared to NPH, among working-age adults. KEY MESSAGES The comparative safety of modern basal insulins regarding hypoglycemia among the working-age population is unclear. Large reductions in the incidence of severe hypoglycemia were seen among real-life patients who started insulin detemir, as compared to patients who initiated glargine or especially NPH insulin. Given the large amount of patients using insulin, these findings may have considerable clinical consequences at the population level.

All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality among Users of Basal Insulins NPH, Detemir, and Glargine.

BACKGROUND: Insulin therapy in type 2 diabetes may increase mortality and cancer incidence, but the impact of different types of basal insulins on these endpoints is unclear. Compared to the traditional NPH insulin, the newer, longer-acting insulin analogues detemir and glargine have shown benefits in randomized controlled trials. Whether these advantages translate into lower mortality among users in real life is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the differences in all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates between new users of basal insulins in a population-based study in Finland. METHODS: 23 751 individuals aged ≥40 with type 2 diabetes, who initiated basal insulin therapy in 2006-2009 were identified from national registers, with comprehensive data for mortality, causes of death, and background variables. Propensity score matching was performed on characteristics. Follow-up time was up to 4 years (median 1.7 years). RESULTS: 2078 deaths incurred. With NPH as reference, the adjusted HRs for all-cause mortality were 0.39 (95% CI, 0.30-0.50) for detemir, and 0.55 (95% CI, 0.44-0.69) for glargine. As compared to glargine, the HR was 0.71 (95% CI, 0.54-0.93) among detemir users. Compared to NPH, the mortality risk for both cardiovascular causes as well as cancer were also significantly lower for glargine, and especially for detemir in adjusted analysis. Furthermore, the results were robust in various sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION: In real clinical practice, mortality was substantially higher among users of NPH insulin as compared to insulins detemir or glargine. Considering the large number of patients who require insulin therapy, this difference in risk may have major clinical and public health implications. Due to limitations of the observational study design, further investigation using an interventional study design is warranted.

Association of Self-Rated Health in Midlife With Mortality and Old Age Frailty: A 26-Year Follow-Up of Initially Healthy Men.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to investigate the relationship between self-rated health (SRH) in healthy midlife, mortality, and frailty in old age. METHODS: In 1974, male volunteers for a primary prevention trial in the Helsinki Businessmen Study (mean age 47 years, n = 1,753) reported SRH using a five-step scale (1 = "very good," n = 124; 2 = "fairly good," n = 862; 3 = "average," n = 706; 4 = "fairly poor," or 5 = "very poor"; in the analyses, 4 and 5 were combined as "poor", n = 61). In 2000 (mean age 73 years), the survivors were assessed using a questionnaire including the RAND-36/SF-36 health-related quality of life instrument. Simplified self-reported criteria were used to define phenotypic prefrailty and frailty. Mortality was retrieved from national registers. RESULTS: During the 26-year follow-up, 410 men had died. Frailty status was assessed in 81.0% (n = 1,088) of survivors: 434 (39.9%), 552 (50.7%), and 102 (9.4%) were classified as not frail, prefrail, and frail, respectively. With fairly good SRH as reference, and adjusted for cardiovascular risk in midlife and comorbidity in old age, midlife SRH was related to mortality in a J-shaped fashion: significant increase with both very good and poor SRH. In similar analyses, average SRH in midlife (n = 425) was related to prefrailty (odds ratio: 1.52, 95% confidence interval: 1.14-2.04) and poor SRH (n = 31) both to prefrailty (odds ratio: 3.56, 95% confidence interval: 1.16-10.9) and frailty (odds ratio: 8.38, 95% confidence interval: 2.32-30.3) in old age. CONCLUSIONS: SRH in clinically healthy midlife among volunteers of a primary prevention trial was related to the development of both prefrailty and frailty in old age, independent of baseline cardiovascular risk and later comorbidity.

Clinical and laboratory characteristics of active and healthy aging (AHA) in octogenarian men.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate clinical and laboratory variables associated with good subjective and objective health ("active and healthy aging", AHA) in a cohort of octogenarian men. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analyses of a longitudinal study. SETTING: The Helsinki Businessmen Study in Finland. PARTICIPANTS: A socioeconomically homogenous cohort of men (baseline n = 3293), born in 1919-1934, has been followed up from the 1960s. From 2000, the men have been regularly sent mailed questionnaires and mortality has been retrieved from national registers. MEASUREMENTS: In 2010 survey, AHA was defined as independently responding to the mailed survey, feeling happy without cognitive or functional impairments and without major diseases. In 2010/11, a random subgroup men was clinically investigated and survivors with healthy and nonhealthy aging were compared. RESULTS: By 2010, 1788 men of the baseline cohort had died, and 894 men responded to the mailed survey. 154 (17.2 %) of those fulfilled the present AHA criteria. Increasing number of criteria were negatively (P < 0.001) related to short-term mortality. In 2011, a random sample of 458 men were clinically investigated, 90 of them with AHA. Men with AHA had higher serum LDL cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure (partially explained by less frequent drug use) but no significant difference was observed in other risk factors. Men with AHA had significantly faster walking speed (P < 0.001), stronger handgrip (P = 0.017), better self-rated health and less phenotypic frailty (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Less than 5 % enjoyed active and healthy aging over their life course, which was significantly related to markers of frailty but not to the traditional vascular risk factors.

Low midlife blood pressure, survival, comorbidity, and health-related quality of life in old age: the Helsinki Businessmen Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine the long-term impact of midlife blood pressure (BP) on mortality, comorbidity, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in old age. METHODS: These are longitudinal analyses of the Helsinki Businessmen Study, a cohort of business executives, born in 1919-1934, whose BP was measured between 1964 and 1973 (n = 3267). Comorbidity and HRQoL with RAND-36 [Short Form (SF)-36] were assessed from questionnaires in 2000; mortality up to 31 July 2012 was ascertained from national registers. Baseline BP was categorized as normal, less than 120  mmHg systolic and less than 80  mmHg diastolic (n = 121); prehypertension, 120-139  mmHg systolic or 80-89  mmHg diastolic (n = 2131); stage 1 hypertension, 140-159 mmHg systolic or 90-99  mmHg diastolic (n = 757); and stage 2 hypertension, more than 160  mmHg systolic or more than 100  mmHg diastolic (n = 258). Main outcome measures were long-term mortality, comorbidity, and HRQoL in old age. RESULTS: During the 48-year follow-up, 2013 men (61.6%) died. There was a graded relationship between BP and total mortality (P < 0.001). The men with normal BP had the lowest mortality; the age-adjusted difference in mean survival was 7.5 years between the normal and stage 2 baseline BP groups, and 11.2 months between normal and prehypertension groups. Lower BP in midlife was associated with better scores in the physical functioning (P-linear trend <0.001) and general health (P = 0.01) scales of RAND-36 in old age. RAND-36 scales associated with mental health were not affected by midlife BP. CONCLUSION: Lower BP in midlife is associated with longer life and better physical HRQoL in old age.

The "obesity paradox," frailty, disability, and mortality in older men: a prospective, longitudinal cohort study.

An inverse relationship between overweight and mortality (the "obesity paradox") is well documented, but there are scarce data on how body weight during the life course affects this relationship. In the Helsinki Businessmen Study, we examined the effect of weight trajectories on incident disability, frailty, and mortality by stratifying 1,114 men (mean age of 47 years in 1974) into the following 4 groups based on body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)(2)) values measured twice, in 1974 and 2000: 1) constantly normal weight (n = 340, reference group); 2) constantly overweight (n = 495); 3) weight gain (n = 136); and 4) weight loss (n = 143). Twelve-year mortality rates (from 2000 to 2012) and frailty and mobility-related disability in late life were determined. Compared with constantly normal weight, weight loss was associated with disability (odds ratio (OR) = 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1, 4.9) and frailty (OR = 3.7, 95% CI: 1.3, 10.5) in late life. Constant overweight was associated with increased disability (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1, 3.2). Men with constantly normal weight had the fewest comorbidities in late life (P < 0.001). Higher 12-year mortality rates were observed both with weight loss (hazard ratio = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.3, 2.3) and with constant overweight (hazard ratio = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.7). Those with constantly normal weight or weight gain had similar outcomes. We observed no obesity paradox in late life when earlier weight trajectories were taken into account.

Comparison of normal fasting and one-hour glucose levels as predictors of future diabetes during a 34-year follow-up.

INTRODUCTION: Early identification of those at risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is essential. We examined how normoglycemic levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG) and 1-hour glucose predict the development of diabetes among men initially at low risk. METHODS: In the Helsinki Businessmen Study (men born in 1919- 1934), 1,145 men had normal FBG (< 5.0 mmol/L) in 1974, and 1-hour glucose values available. Multivariate, adjusted models were used to investigate how fasting and 1-hour glucose at baseline related to new-onset diabetes during a follow-up of 34 years. RESULTS: The median FBG and 1-hour glucose values at baseline were 4.4 and 6.6 mmol/L, respectively. During follow-up, 108 men developed diabetes. The risk of incident diabetes was doubled for the highest quintile of FBG (fully adjusted relative risk (RR) 2.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-4.50), and quadrupled for that of 1-hour glucose (RR 4.23, 95% CI 2.49-7.17). FBG could not separate the risk for those with higher levels of glucose in the range < 5.0 mmol/L, whereas 1-hour glucose discriminated the risk better at higher values. CONCLUSIONS: Higher values in the normoglycemic range for both fasting and 1-hour glucose predicted long-term incidence of diabetes in healthy middle-aged men.

Leisure-time physical activity in midlife is related to old age frailty.

BACKGROUND: There are scarce studies of the long-term associations between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in midlife and phenotypic frailty in old age. METHODS: We studied healthy Caucasian men of high socioeconomic status (N = 514), who had participated in health checkups during the 1960s (the Helsinki Businessmen Study, Finland). In 1974, they were examined with questionnaires and clinical examinations, and LTPA was collapsed into three categories: low (n = 87), moderate (n = 256), and high (n = 171). In 2000, at mean age of 74, survivors were assessed for physical activity and frailty phenotype using the modified Fried criteria validated in our cohort. Four criteria were used: (a) weight loss > 5% from midlife or current body mass index < 21kg/m(2), (b) physical inactivity, (c) low vitality, and (d) physical weakness. Responders with 3-4, 1-2, and zero criteria were classified as frail, prefrail, and nonfrail, respectively. RESULTS: The prevalence of frailty was 16.1%, 10.2%, and 4.7% in the low, moderate, and high LTPA groups, respectively. Higher midlife LTPA was significantly related to lower prevalence of both frailty and prefrailty in old age. After adjusting for baseline age, smoking, body mass index, blood pressure, and alcohol, the risk of frailty was 80% lower in the high LTPA group compared with the low LTPA group (odds ratio = 0.20; 95% confidence interval 0.07-0.55). This finding was supported by the relationships between the change of physical activity and frailty in old age. CONCLUSIONS: In this socioeconomically homogenous male cohort, higher physical activity since midlife was strongly associated with less frailty in old age.

Physical activity in midlife and telomere length measured in old age.

Physical activity has been associated with alterations in telomere length, a potential indicator of biological aging, but several inconsistencies exist. Our aim was to investigate the associations between physical activity in midlife and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) measured in old age in the Helsinki Businessmen Study, Finland. At entry, in 1974, 782 men (mean age 47) completed a questionnaire about their physical activity and this was collapsed into 3 categories: low (n=148), moderate (n=398) and high physical activity (n=236, 7 of whom had a competitive activity level). After 29-year follow-up in 2003, mean LTL and the proportion of short (<5 kB) telomeres were measured from DNA samples of a random subcohort of survivors (n=204, mean age 76) using the Southern blot technique. Adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI), cholesterol and smoking in 1974, the moderate physical activity group had longer mean LTL (8.27 kB, SE 0.05) than the low (8.10 kB, SE 0.07), or high (8.10 kB, SE 0.05) physical activity groups (P=0.03 between groups). Conversely, the proportion of short telomeres was lowest in the moderate physical activity group (11.35%, SE 0.25), and higher in the high (12.39%, SE 0.29), and the low physical activity (12.21%, SE 0.39) groups (P=0.02 between groups). We conclude that the results of this observational cohort study give support to the idea that both low and high physical activity is in the long-term associated with factors shortening LTL.

Association between alcohol consumption in healthy midlife and telomere length in older men. The Helsinki Businessmen Study.

There are scarce data of alcohol consumption and telomere length, an indicator of biological age. In 1974, detailed alcohol consumption was available for a socioeconomically homogenous cohort of middle-aged men (The Helsinki Businessmen Study). Their alcohol use, divided into 5 groups (zero, 1-98, 99-196, 197-490, >490 g/week) has been repeatedly assessed until old age. In 2002/2003, leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and the proportion of short telomeres (less than 5 kilobases) were measured in a random subcohort of 499 men (mean age 76 years) using the Southern blot. Age-adjusted mean LTL in the 5 midlife alcohol consumption groups were 8.33, 8.24, 8.12, 8.13, and 7.87 kilobases, respectively (P < 0.001). The respective proportions (%) for short telomeres were 11.24, 11.52, 11.89, 12.08, and 13.47 (P = 0.004). The differences remained after further adjustments (ever smoking, body mass index, cholesterol, perceived fitness) for LTL (P = 0.03) and tended to remain for proportion of short telomeres (P = 0.07). Neither LTL, nor proportion of short telomeres, were associated with contemporary alcohol consumption groups in old age. Even minor alcohol consumption in midlife was significantly associated with shorter telomere length in old age. The differences represent an up to 10 year gap in biological age between zero and highest consumption.