Cardiovascular health is associated with the epigenetic clock in the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II)

Abstract

The epigenetic clock parameter DNAm age acceleration is a promising biomarker of aging. We have recently described an epigenetic clock based on only seven cytosine-phosphate-guanine sites, which is highly associated with chronological age. The aim of this study was to examine this epigenetic clock with respect to its relationship with cardiovascular health (CVH) in older adults. We used data from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II; 1,671 participants; 68.8 ± 3.7 years old). CVH was operationalized using two different CVH scores, the Framingham Risk Score (FRS), and the Life's simple 7 (LS7). To adjust for potential confounding, e.g. by sex, we performed regression analyses. The LS7 score was higher, i.e. more favorable, in woman than in men (8.8 ± 2 vs. 8.2 ± 2, p < 0.001). DNAm age acceleration was associated with the FRS (β = 0.122, p = 0.028) and with the LS7 (β = -0.804, p = 0.032). In more detail, physical activity (β = -0.461, p = 0.05), HDL-cholesterol (β = 0.343, p = 0.03) and total cholesterol (β = -0.364, p = 0.002) were associated with epigenetic age acceleration. We present evidence suggesting that better CVH is associated with decelerated biological aging measured by the epigenetic clock.

Keywords: Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II); DNA methylation (DNAm) age; DNAm age acceleration; Epigenetic clock; Framingham Risk Score; Life’s simple 7 (LS7).