# Telomere attrition

Telomere attrition is the gradual shortening of the protective caps at your chromosome ends. (Those caps are repeats of the sequence TTAGGG.) They shorten a little with each cell division. Two things cause it. One is the 'end-replication problem': cells cannot fully copy the very tips. The other is oxidative damage. Once telomeres get critically short, the cell stops dividing (replicative senescence) or self-destructs (apoptosis), through a DNA-damage response. Telomerase is the enzyme that can rebuild telomeres. But it is largely switched off in your adult body cells. Faster attrition is linked to premature-aging syndromes, cardiovascular disease, and a shorter healthspan.

## Sources

- López-Otín C, Blasco MA, Partridge L, Serrano M, Kroemer G. (2013). The Hallmarks of Aging. Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2013.05.039
- Epel ES, Blackburn EH, Lin J, Dhabhar FS, Adler NE, Morrow JD, Cawthon RM. (2004). Accelerated telomere shortening in response to life stress. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0407162101

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_Canonical: https://longevity-switzerland.com/en/glossary/telomere-attrition · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_