Leukocyte telomere length is considered a promising prognostic marker associated with COVID-19 severity, adverse outcomes (hospital admission, need for critical care, and respiratory support), and mor Show more
Leukocyte telomere length is considered a promising prognostic marker associated with COVID-19 severity, adverse outcomes (hospital admission, need for critical care, and respiratory support), and mortality. However, the contribution of telomere length to post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) development is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between telomere shortening and the course of PCS in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and to determine whether telomere length is linked to clinical phenotype, gender, and biological age. In this cross-sectional study, 66 T2D patients who had recovered from COVID-19 were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups depending on PCS development: the PCS group ( We observed a significantly lower mean of telomere length in T2D patients with PCS as compared to those without it (1.09 ± 0.19 and 1.28 ± 0.24; Shorter telomere length and higher HbA1c levels were significantly associated with the presence of PCS in our cohort of individuals with T2D. These factors may represent potential biomarkers that warrant further investigation. Show less