MITOCHONDRIAL DNA: REVEALS FRAGILE AND MORTALITY
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Mitochondria are structures within cells often referred to as "sources of power" because they generate most of the energy of the cells.
Unlike other cellular structures, contain real DNA - separate from that contained in the core - in the form of 10 pairs of small circular chromosomes that encode the 37 genes required for mitochondrial function. There are thousands of mitochondria per cell, depending on the energy needs of a cell.
A team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University (Maryland, USA), in past studies, revealed a link between genetic differences in mitochondrial DNA with greater fragility and reduced muscle strength in older individuals. In the current research, the team analyzed the amount of mitochondrial DNA in blood samples collected on 4,982 subjects enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study (1989-2006) and 11,509 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Community Study (1987-2013).
After calculating the amount of mitochondrial DNA that each sample was compared to the amount of nuclear DNA, the team examined the measures of frailty and health status of the participants over time. The subjects with greater fragility had 9% less mitochondrial DNA than the other subjects. The researchers also analyzed the age at which participants died.
In one of the studies, high levels of mitochondrial DNA corresponded to an average of 2.1 years longer life than those with lower levels of mitochondrial DNA. Using data from both studies, the team found that those with low mitochondrial DNA levels were 47% more likely to die from any cause during the study period.
Noting that: "The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is associated with age and sex," the study authors conclude that: "a low level of mtDNA is associated with widespread weakness: the mtDNA is a significant predictor of all-cause mortality ".
Source: Worldhealth
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