Reduced Epigenetic Age in Older Adults With High Sense of Purpose in Life.

ABSTRACT: Psychosocial risk factors have been linked with accelerated epigenetic aging, but little is known about whether psychosocial resilience factors (eg, Sense of Purpose in Life) might reduce epigenetic age acceleration. In this study, we tested if older adults who experience high levels of Purpose might show reduced epigenetic age acceleration. We evaluated the relationship between Purpose and epigenetic age acceleration as measured by 13 DNA methylation (DNAm) "epigenetic clocks" assessed in 1 572 older adults from the Health and Retirement Study (mean age 70 years). We quantified the total association between Purpose and DNAm age acceleration as well as the extent to which that total association might be attributable to demographic factors, chronic disease, other psychosocial variables (eg,

SUBMITTER: Kim ES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10329221 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature