TY - JOUR
T1 - Cumulative Stress Across the Life Course and Biological Aging in Adulthood
AU - Suglia, Shakira F.
AU - Clausing, Elizabeth S.
AU - Shelton, Rachel C.
AU - Conneely, Karen
AU - Prada-Ortega, Diddier
AU - DeVivo, Immaculata
AU - Factor-Litvak, Pam
AU - Cirillo, Piera
AU - Baccarelli, Andrea A.
AU - Cohn, Barbara
AU - Link, Bruce G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
PY - 2024/4/1
Y1 - 2024/4/1
N2 - Objective Psychosocial stressors have been linked with accelerated biological aging in adults; however, few studies have examined stressors across the life course in relation to biological aging. Methods In 359 individuals (57% White, 34% Black) from the Child Health and Development Studies Disparities study, economic (income, education, financial strain), social (parent-child relations, caretaker responsibilities) and traumatic (death of a sibling or child, violence exposure) stressors were assessed at multiple time points (birth and ages 9, 15, and 50 years). Experiences of major discrimination were assessed at age 50. Life period stress scores were then assessed as childhood (birth-age 15 years) and adulthood (age 50 years). At age 50 years, participants provided blood samples, and DNA methylation was assessed with the EPIC BeadChip. Epigenetic age was estimated using six epigenetic clocks (Horvath, Hannum, Skin and Blood age, PhenoAge, GrimAge, Dunedin Pace of Aging). Age acceleration was determined using residuals from regressing chronologic age on each of the epigenetic age metrics. Telomere length was assessed using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction-based methods. Results In linear regression models adjusted for race and gender, total life stress, and childhood and adult stress independently predicted accelerated aging based on GrimAge and faster pace of aging based on the DunedinPace. Associations were attenuated after adjusting for smoking status. In sex-stratified analyses, greater childhood stress was associated with accelerated epigenetic aging among women but not men. No associations were noted with telomere length. Conclusions We found that cumulative stressors across the life course were associated with accelerated epigenetic age, with differences by sex (e.g., accelerated among women). Further research of this association in large and diverse samples is needed.
AB - Objective Psychosocial stressors have been linked with accelerated biological aging in adults; however, few studies have examined stressors across the life course in relation to biological aging. Methods In 359 individuals (57% White, 34% Black) from the Child Health and Development Studies Disparities study, economic (income, education, financial strain), social (parent-child relations, caretaker responsibilities) and traumatic (death of a sibling or child, violence exposure) stressors were assessed at multiple time points (birth and ages 9, 15, and 50 years). Experiences of major discrimination were assessed at age 50. Life period stress scores were then assessed as childhood (birth-age 15 years) and adulthood (age 50 years). At age 50 years, participants provided blood samples, and DNA methylation was assessed with the EPIC BeadChip. Epigenetic age was estimated using six epigenetic clocks (Horvath, Hannum, Skin and Blood age, PhenoAge, GrimAge, Dunedin Pace of Aging). Age acceleration was determined using residuals from regressing chronologic age on each of the epigenetic age metrics. Telomere length was assessed using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction-based methods. Results In linear regression models adjusted for race and gender, total life stress, and childhood and adult stress independently predicted accelerated aging based on GrimAge and faster pace of aging based on the DunedinPace. Associations were attenuated after adjusting for smoking status. In sex-stratified analyses, greater childhood stress was associated with accelerated epigenetic aging among women but not men. No associations were noted with telomere length. Conclusions We found that cumulative stressors across the life course were associated with accelerated epigenetic age, with differences by sex (e.g., accelerated among women). Further research of this association in large and diverse samples is needed.
KW - Ct = threshold cycle
KW - DISPAR = Disparities Study
KW - DNAm = DNA methylation
KW - DunedinPACE = Dunedin Pace of Aging
KW - SES = socioeconomic status
KW - T/S = relative telomere to single gene ratio
KW - TL = telomere length
KW - aging
KW - life course
KW - racism
KW - trauma
KW - weathering
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85190396636&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/PSY.0000000000001284
DO - 10.1097/PSY.0000000000001284
M3 - Article
C2 - 38345302
AN - SCOPUS:85190396636
SN - 0033-3174
VL - 86
SP - 137
EP - 145
JO - Psychosomatic Medicine
JF - Psychosomatic Medicine
IS - 3
ER -