Table 3.
Relationship between serum and dietary levels of folate and vitamin B12 (per 10% increase) and telomere length (base pairs) in U.S. women and men.
| Telomere length (base pairs) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exposure variable | Regression coefficient | SE | F | p |
| Women | ||||
| Serum folate (ng/mL) | ||||
| Model 1 | 9.57 | 2.75 | 10.5 | 0.0030 |
| Model 2 | 8.75 | 2.94 | 8.7 | 0.0062 |
| Dietary folate (mcg) | ||||
| Model 1 | 5.41 | 2.41 | 5.0 | 0.0325 |
| Model 2 | 5.98 | 2.89 | 4.3 | 0.0479 |
| Serum vitamin B12 (pg/mL) | ||||
| Model 1 | 3.48 | 2.01 | 2.8 | 0.1056 |
| Model 2 | 5.59 | 3.15 | 3.1 | 0.0867 |
| Dietary vitamin B12 (mcg) | ||||
| Model 1 | 2.12 | 1.02 | 4.3 | 0.0468 |
| Model 2 | 1.94 | 1.17 | 2.8 | 0.1080 |
| Men | ||||
| Serum folate (ng/mL) | ||||
| Model 1 | 5.81 | 3.39 | 2.9 | 0.0972 |
| Model 2 | 4.56 | 3.35 | 1.9 | 0.1838 |
| Dietary folate (mcg) | ||||
| Model 1 | 2.27 | 2.86 | 0.6 | 0.4341 |
| Model 2 | 0.71 | 2.99 | 0.1 | 0.8149 |
| Serum vitamin B12 (pg/mL) | ||||
| Model 1 | -1.92 | 3.58 | 0.3 | 0.5948 |
| Model 2 | -2.32 | 3.59 | 0.4 | 0.5227 |
| Dietary vitamin B12 (mcg) | ||||
| Model 1 | 0.72 | 1.66 | 0.2 | 0.6665 |
| Model 2 | 0.16 | 1.66 | 0.0 | 0.9239 |
SE: standard error. For Model 1, the covariates were age and race. For Model 2, in additional to age and race, the model was adjusted for differences in pack-years of smoking, alcohol use, BMI, total physical activity, hours fasted, diabetes status, and pregnancy status (for women). Interpretation of the regression coefficients is as follows for the first row (Model 1) regarding serum folate (ng/mL) in women: after adjusting for differences in age and race, for each 10% increase in serum folate, telomeres were 9.57 base pairs longer, on average.