Body Size, Diet Quality, and Epigenetic Aging: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analyses

Epigenetic age is an emerging marker of health that is highly predictive of disease and mortality risk. There is a lack of evidence on whether lifestyle changes are associated with changes in epigenetic aging. We used data from 1 041 participants in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study with blood DNA methylation measures at baseline (1990-1994, mean age: 57.4 years) and follow-up (2003-2007, mean age: 68.8 years). The Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), the Mediterranean Dietary Score, and the Dietary Inflammatory Index were used as measures of diet quality, and weight, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio as measures of body size. Five age-adjusted epigenetic aging measures were considered: GrimAge, PhenoAge, PCGrimAge, PCPhenoAge, and DunedinPACE. Multivariable linear regression models including restricted cubic splines were used to assess the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of body size and diet quality with epigenetic aging. Associations between weight and epigenetic aging cross-sectionally at both time points were positive and appeared greater for DunedinPACE (per SD: β ~0.24) than for GrimAge and PhenoAge (β ~0.10). The longitudinal associations with weight change were markedly nonlinear (U-shaped) with stable weight being associated with the lowest epigenetic aging at follow-up, except for DunedinPACE, for which only weight gain showed a positive association. We found negative, linear associations for AHEI-2010 both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Other adiposity measures and dietary scores showed similar results. In middle-aged to older adults, declining diet quality and weight gain may increase epigenetic age, while the association for weight loss may require further investigation. Our study sheds light on the potential of weight management and dietary improvement in slowing aging processes.