Leucocyte Telomere Length and Its Relationship with Haematological Ageing Biomarkers in Adults in Ogun State, South West Nigeria

This study examines the relationship between leucocyte telomere length (LTL) and haematological ageing biomarkers including haemoglobin, platelet count, mean corpuscular volume, red cell distribution width, and white blood cell count in adults in Ogun State, South West Nigeria. Telomere length is a marker of biological ageing and cellular senescence, and its haematological correlates in West African populations have not been analytically studied. A cross-sectional analytical study recruited 300 apparently healthy adults stratified by age decade (30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, and 60 to 70 years), 75 per stratum, from community-based health awareness programmes in Abeokuta and Sagamu. LTL was measured by quantitative real-time PCR from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Full blood count parameters and serum CRP as an inflammatory confounding variable were assessed. LTL declined significantly with age across all strata. RDW increased significantly with age and showed the strongest inverse correlation with LTL (r = -0.61) after adjustment for age and CRP. MCV increased with age in a pattern associated with shorter LTL and elevated CRP. Haemoglobin declined moderately in those above 60 years and correlated positively with LTL even after adjusting for sex and CRP. Platelet count was not significantly associated with LTL. The study establishes LTL as an independent correlate of haematological ageing in the Nigerian adult population, with RDW emerging as its most sensitive haematological surrogate. Keywords: telomere length, haematological ageing, RDW, biological ageing, Ogun State.