Influence of physical activity on the epigenetic clock: evidence from a Japanese cross-sectional study.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational study
PubMed 39407257 · doi:10.1186/s13148-024-01756-1
What was done
Researchers evaluated 867 Japanese adults aged 40–69 years from two datasets of the Saga J-MICC study. Peripheral blood DNA methylation was used to calculate second-generation epigenetic clocks (PhenoAge and GrimAge) and epigenetic age acceleration. Physical activity (PA) and sedentary time were assessed both objectively using a single-axis accelerometer and subjectively via self-administered questionnaires. Multivariable linear regression models evaluated the associations between activity measures and epigenetic age acceleration.
What was found
Pearson correlation coefficients between accelerometer-derived and self-reported PA variables were low, ranging from 0.09 to 0.20. In multivariable regression models, accelerometer-measured PA was associated with epigenetic age deceleration, while accelerometer-measured sedentary time was associated with epigenetic age acceleration for both PhenoAge and GrimAge. Self-reported PA showed no significant association with epigenetic age acceleration. Exact numerical regression coefficients, effect sizes, and p-values were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This study provides evidence from an East Asian population that objectively measured physical activity and reduced sedentary time associate with slower biological aging. It also demonstrates that self-reported activity may lack the precision needed to detect associations with epigenetic clocks.
Limits
The cross-sectional design precludes causal inference. Specific effect sizes, confidence intervals, and p-values were omitted from the abstract. Accelerometry was limited to a single-axis device, which may miss certain activity types, and the cohort was restricted to Japanese adults aged 40–69.
Cited by
- supports Physical activity measured by step counts has an inverse correlation of approximately -0.1 with epigenetic clocks such as GrimAge.