Table 1.
Association of Negative Age Stereotypes with Shorter Telomere Length In Adjusted Binary Logistic Regression Model with American Military Veterans (n=335) and Older Adults who Recently Experienced a Heart Attack (n=148)
| American Military Veterans (n=335) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) or n (weighted %) |
Odds Ratio (95%CI) |
|
| Negative age stereotypes | 4.8 (1.6) | 1.30 (1.08–1.57)** |
| Age | 70.6 (6.7) | 1.01 (0.97–1.04) |
| Male sex | 328 (96%) | 2.36 (0.63–8.87) |
| White race | 298 (84%) | 1.02 (0.40–2.56) |
| Hispanic ethnicity | 13 (7%) | 1.78 (0.54–5.89) |
| Some college or higher education | 288 (66%) | 0.79 (0.43–1.45) |
| Married/cohabiting | 275 (81%) | 1.11 (0.56–2.21) |
| Combat veteran | 128 (33%) | 1.20 (0.65–2.23) |
| Number of years in military | 6.6 (7.8) | 1.03 (1.00–1.07) |
| Number of traumas | 4.8 (3.8) | 1.01 (0.93–1.09) |
| Lifetime PTSD or depression | 44 (11%) | 2.02 (0.84–4.87) |
| Lifetime alcohol or drug use disorder | 61 (20%) | 2.23 (1.03–4.85)* |
| Lifetime nicotine dependence | 74 (21%) | 2.35 (1.23–4.50)* |
| Current depression symptoms | 0.2 (0.8) | 0.86 (0.65–1.13) |
| Body mass index | 28.5 (4.8) | 0.93 (0.88–0.99)* |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index | 4.2 (1.7) | 1.04 (0.87–1.23) |
| Heart Attack Survivors (n=148) | ||
| Mean (SD) or n (%) |
Odds Ratio (95%CI) |
|
| Negative age stereotypes | 7.3 (1.9) | 1.33 (1.01–1.77)* |
| Age | 70.1 (7.1) | 0.98 (0.89–1.08) |
| Male sex | 92 (62%) | 1.49 (0.41–5.26) |
| White race | 134 (90%) | 2.33 (0.29–20.00) |
| Hispanic ethnicity | 17 (11%) | 1.26 (0.22–7.29) |
| Some college or higher education | 83 (56%) | 0.68 (0.21–2.18) |
| Married/cohabiting | 85 (57%) | 0.25 (0.05–1.15) |
| Lifetime depression history | 10 (7%) | 0.16 (0.02–1.05) |
| Elevated alcohol use | 8 (5%) | 2.45 (0.01–453.31) |
| Ever smoked cigarettes | 96 (65%) | 4.16 (1.34–12.91)* |
| Body mass index | 29.9 (6.6) | 0.91 (0.84–0.99)* |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index | 5.2 (2.1) | 1.24(0.87–1.75) |
| STEMI score | 66 (45%) | 2.58 (0.80–8.28) |
Note. Variables that were significantly associated with shorter telomere length are highlighted in bold:
p<0.05,
p<0.01;
95%CI=95% confidence interval. A total 18% (n=85) of the veteran sample and 84% (n=124) of the AMI sample had short telomeres. Negative age stereotypes score range=0–9. In the Veteran sample, The Trauma History Screen, Mini Neuropsychiatric Interview, Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, and PTSD Checklist were used to assess traumatic life events and lifetime psychiatric comorbidities. Charlson Comorbidity Index was derived from endorsement of lifetime medical conditions (range 0–20) that were diagnosed by a healthcare professional (e.g., diabetes). Current depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (score range 0–6). In the Heart Attack sample, trained nurses ascertained lifetime depression history, alcohol use, smoking history, and ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) from medical records.