{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.03074141048824593, 'fraction_numerical': 0.009041591320072333, 'mean_word_length': 5.747967479674797, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Association Between Telomere Length and Autonomic Functions: Applying Psychological and Physiological Measures

Telomeres are protective chromosomal structures that are important in maintaining genomic stability. Telomere shortening results in genomic instability and contributes to aging and carcinogenesis. Despite the health risks posed by this condition, few studies have examined the relationship of telomere length (TL) to autonomic functions. In this study, we examined the association between TL and autonomic functions in Korean adolescents. A cross‐sectional study was performed with high school adolescents in a Korean city. Self‐report questionnaires were used to assess psychological measures (stress and anxiety levels), and blood samples were analyzed for physiological parameters (plasma catecholamine levels) of the participants. TL measurements were made using a qPCR‐based technique, and relative TL was calculated as the telomere/single copy (T/S) ratio. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and Pearson's correlation coefficient with SPSS/WIN 22.0. We found that T/S ratio was positively correlated with plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels (r=.225, p=.001 and r=.187, p=.005). However, psychological stress and anxiety levels were not significantly associated with adolescents' T/S ratio. Our physiological results indicate that alteration of autonomic functions may induce TL shortening in adolescents. We believe that our findings increase the understanding of the health effects of autonomic functions. Moreover, they highlight the need for intervention strategies to prevent TL shortening due to autonomic imbalance.