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Negative Life Events and Epigenetic Ageing: A Study in the Netherlands Twin Register
Bodine M A Gonggrijp1, Steve G A van de Weijer2, Catrien C J H Bijleveld3
1Department of Biological Psychology, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), Amsterdam, Netherlands. b.m.a.gonggrijp@vu.nl.
Behavior Genetics
|December 11, 2024
Summary
Negative life events, especially financial hardship, accelerate epigenetic aging (GrimAge). However, twin studies suggest shared genetic and environmental factors may confound these associations, highlighting the complexity of stress and biological aging.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics
- Gerontology
- Psychoneuroimmunology
Background:
- Negative life events are linked to adverse health outcomes.
- Epigenetic aging, a biological measure of aging, may be influenced by environmental stressors.
- Understanding this link is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term impact of negative life events on epigenetic aging.
- To analyze associations between various negative life events and five epigenetic biomarkers.
- To explore the role of familial factors using twin studies.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 1783 adults from the Netherlands Twin Register.
- Assessment of five epigenetic biomarkers: Hannum, Horvath, PhenoAge, GrimAge, and DunedinPACE.
- Examination of negative life events including victimization and economic hardship, with population-level and twin-pair analyses.
Main Results:
- Higher numbers of negative life events, particularly financial adversities, sexual crimes, and job loss, were associated with GrimAge.
- These associations persisted after adjusting for BMI, smoking, and white blood cell counts.
- Associations were diminished in monozygotic twin pairs discordant for negative life events, suggesting confounding familial factors.
Conclusions:
- Negative life events, especially financial adversity, are associated with accelerated epigenetic aging (GrimAge).
- Shared genetic and environmental factors may confound population-level associations between stress and epigenetic aging.
- Further research is needed to disentangle genetic and environmental influences on the relationship between stressors and biological aging.
Keywords:
Biological agingDNA methylationDiscordant twin analysesEpigenetic biomarkersNegative life eventsMore Related Videos
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