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Telomere length in youth with type 1 diabetes and the role of physical fitness

Pediatric Research (2025)Cite this article

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We sincerely appreciate the interest and thoughtful invited comments provided by Paltoglou,1 on our article.2 The paragraph in which they extend the justification of our study contributes to the growing body of evidence on the relationship between type 1 diabetes and telomere involvement. Furthermore, the specific insights they offer on our work further underscore the importance of linking physical fitness with telomere length in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Nevertheless, we would like to take this opportunity to respond to some of the comments raised.

As the author correctly mentions, our published study identified cross-sectional associations; however, from a longitudinal perspective, no significant relationships were observed. It is important to consider that our analysis encompassed two distinct time points separated by one year in a population ranging from 6 to 18 years of age. The literature has demonstrated that telomeres shorten rapidly during the first few years of life, particularly from birth to approximately three years of age, likely due to high rates of cellular turnover.3 In contrast, as children transition into preadolescence, the rate of telomere shortening decreases, leading to a period of stabilization.4 Moreover, sex differences may emerge due to hormonal variations or genetic factors.5 In adulthood, however, telomere attrition accelerates again, driven by factors such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and lifestyle behaviors.6 In later life, the association between telomere shortening and increased mortality has been well established,7 with detectable changes typically observed over an average period of 2.5 years.

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Change history

  • 28 July 2025

    In this article the author’s name A. Marti del Moral was incorrectly written as AM del Moral.

References

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Acknowledgements

The technical assistance of Veronica Ciaurriz from the Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Physiology and Center for Nutrition and Research at the University of Navarra is fully acknowledged. This study was funded by grant PI21/01238 and PI24/00829 from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spain) (co-funded by de European Union) and by CIBER of Obesity Physiology and Nutrition (CB12/03/30002). The project that gave rise to these results received the support of a fellowship form “Instituto de Salud Carlos III” granted to Jacinto Muñoz-Pardeza (FI22/00329). Dr. Ana Ojeda-Rodriguez is the recipient of a Sara Borrell grant (CD21/00099) from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain

    Jacinto Muñoz-Pardeza, Nidia Huerta-Uribe, Ignacio Hormazábal-Aguayo, Mikel Izquierdo & Antonio García-Hermoso

  2. One Health Research Group, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador

    José Francisco López-Gil

  3. Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile

    Ignacio Hormazábal-Aguayo

  4. Lipids and Atherosclerosis Unit, Unidad de Gestión Clinica Medicina Interna, Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research in Córdoba (IMIBIC), Reina Sofia University Hospital, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain

    Ana Ojeda-Rodríguez

  5. CIBER of Obesity Physiology and Nutrition (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

    Ana Ojeda-Rodríguez & Amelia Marti del Moral

  6. Departament of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Physiology, Universidad de Navarra (UNAV), IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain

    Amelia Marti del Moral

  7. CIBER of Frailty and Healthy Aging (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

    Mikel Izquierdo

Authors
  1. Jacinto Muñoz-Pardeza
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  2. José Francisco López-Gil
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  3. Nidia Huerta-Uribe
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  4. Ignacio Hormazábal-Aguayo
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  5. Ana Ojeda-Rodríguez
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  6. Amelia Marti del Moral
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  7. Mikel Izquierdo
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  8. Antonio García-Hermoso
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Contributions

M.J.C.G., SBZ, E.B.S., and M.I. They were involved in the conception, design and conduct of the study. A.G.H., J.L.G., J.M.P. were involved in the statistical analyses and interpretation of the results obtained. A.M.D. and A.O.R. oversaw executing the necessary protocols to obtain the telomere length and reviewed and approved the final version of the paper. I.H.A. and N.H.U. managed the physical evaluations and interpretation of the metabolic variables. J.M.P. wrote the first draft of the manuscript, and A.G.H., J.L.G., and M.I. reviewed, edited, and approved the final version of the paper. A.G.H. is the guarantee of the work and, as such, had full access to all the data of the study, assuming full responsibility for it.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antonio García-Hermoso.

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Muñoz-Pardeza, J., López-Gil, J.F., Huerta-Uribe, N. et al. Telomere length in youth with type 1 diabetes and the role of physical fitness. Pediatr Res (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-025-04279-4

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