INTRODUCTION
major depression, cognitive impairment, dementia, cognitive impaiRment, depressive symptoms, depression, cognitive decline, cognitive complaints
DISEASES
Telomeres are regions of tandem repeats of the base pairs TTAGGG located at chromosomal ends and undergo attrition with each division of somatic cells [We previously reported the randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the SoUth Korean study to PrEvent cognitive impaiRment and protect BRAIN health through lifestyle intervention in at-risk elderly people (SUPERBRAIN) [Therefore, we aimed to identify whether TL is associated with not only major depression or substantial cognitive decline and dementia but also with early subjective depressive symptoms or/and cognitive complaints in relatively healthy elderly subjects. This was possible because the SUPERBRAIN study initially excluded elderly individuals with major depression, dementia, or severe cognitive impairment from the study. In addition, we analyzed the relationship between various biomarkers related to geriatric diseases and TL.