Epigenetic clock analysis of diet, exercise, education, and lifestyle factors.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Observational cohort study incorporating cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.
PubMed 28198702 · doi:10.18632/aging.101168
What was done
Researchers evaluated the relationship between lifestyle, diet, metabolic factors, and blood-based epigenetic biomarkers of aging (extrinsic epigenetic age acceleration [EEAA] and intrinsic epigenetic age acceleration [IEAA]). The analysis included cross-sectional data from 4,173 postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative and 402 men and women from the Italian InCHIANTI cohort, along with longitudinal analysis of BMI changes.
What was found
EEAA showed statistically significant associations with blood carotenoid levels (p = 1x10^-5), education (p = 3x10^-5), moderate alcohol consumption (p = 0.01), BMI (p = 0.01), and fish intake (p = 0.02). IEAA was associated with poultry intake (p = 0.03) and BMI (p = 0.05). Both measures were related to metabolic syndrome indicators, which appeared to mediate associations with BMI. Longitudinal increases in BMI were associated with increases in both EEAA and IEAA. Metformin use did not delay epigenetic aging. Numerical effect sizes and confidence intervals were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This study links established healthy lifestyle behaviors and metabolic risk factors directly to molecular rates of biological aging measured via DNA methylation clocks.
Limits
The sample was predominantly postmenopausal women (over 91%), limiting generalizability to men and younger individuals. The observational nature prevents causal inference, and the abstract lacks numerical effect sizes.
Cited by
- supports Physical activity has a very weak correlation with epigenetic aging in blood, around r = 0.08.