TERT and coronary artery disorder: The rs7726159 in intron 3 of TERT was shown to affect telomerase transcription level by modulating the interaction of the transcriptional factor MYC with TERT. The C-allele, associated with CHD in our study, was previously associated with lower telomerase activity [37], and with shorter LTL and with ischemic heart disease in the general population [26].