Telomeric DNA repeats are lost as normal somatic
cells replicate. When telomeres reach a critically
short length, a DNA damage signal is initiated,
inducing cell senescence. Some studies have indicated
that telomere length correlates with mortality,
suggesting that telomere length contributes to
human life span; however, other studies report no
correlation, and thus the issue remains controversial.
Domestic dogs show parallels in telomere biology to
humans, with similar telomere length, telomere attrition,
and absence of somatic cell telomerase activity.
Using this model, we find that peripheral blood
mononuclear cell (PBMC) telomere length is a strong
predictor of average life span among 15 different
breeds (p < 0.0001), consistent with telomeres playing
a role in life span determination. Dogs lose telomeric
DNA 10-fold faster than humans, which is
similar to the ratio of average life spans between
these species. Breeds with shorter mean telomere
lengths show an increased probability of death
from cardiovascular disease, which was previously
correlated with short telomere length in humans...........
http://www.counteragingwise.com/petsCycloastragenol.html
