Neighborhood deprivation and epigenetic aging
Year: 2021
Type: conference-abstract
Abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIM: Recent research suggests widening socioeconomic disparities in life expectancy in the United States. Both individual-level and small-area socioeconomic status factors, such as living in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhood, are independently associated with early onset of age-related disease, reduced life expectancy and all-cause mortality. Neighborhood deprivation may increase the risk of early onset of age-related disease, reduced life expectancy, and all-cause mortality. Mechanisms linking neighborhood deprivation and age-related disease are multifactorial and complex. Residence in a deprived neighborhood can lead to poor health behaviors, increased toxicant exposures, lack of access to health services, and low social cohesion. Living in a deprived neighborhood can also lead to chronic stress and induce biological weathering on endocrine and inflammatory systems. METHODS: Emerging evidence suggests epigenetics may be implicated in biological mechanisms underpinning this relationship. DNA methylation is the most well-understood epigenetic factor and involves the addition of a methyl group to DNA, typically at the 5-carbon of cytosine at cytosine-guanine (CpG) dinucleotides. Recently developed ‘epigenetic clocks’ are a class of biological age predictors that use DNA methylation at predetermined CpG sites to measure biological variation among those with the same chronologic age. These clocks are better at predicting chronologic age than other markers including telomere length and may be a more sensitive measure of biologic aging. RESULTS:This presentation will focus on recent findings of the association between neighborhood deprivation and epigenetic measures of age acceleration from the Sister Study, a prospective breast cancer cohort study. CONCLUSIONS:Findings from this study suggest that residing in a neighborhood with higher deprivation is associated with methylation-based markers of aging. African American/Black women in the U.S. may be more likely to live in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Planned research focused on methylation patterns in African American/Black individuals will allow researchers to evaluate how neighborhood disadvantage and methylation changes contribute to health disparities. KEYWORDS: ‘Advancing racial health equity through studies of the environment and epigenetic aging’, neighborhood environment, epigenetics, aging
Source: ISEE Conference Abstracts
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3195075694