Associations Between Longitudinal Loneliness, DNA Methylation Age Acceleration, and Cognitive Functioning.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Loneliness may influence aging biomarkers related to cognitive functioning, for example, through accelerated DNA methylation (DNAm) aging.

Methods

In the present study, we tested whether six common DNAm age acceleration measures mediated the effects of baseline loneliness and five different longitudinal loneliness trajectories on general cognitive ability, immediate memory recall, delayed memory recall, and processing speed in 1,814 older adults in the Health and Retirement Study.

Results

We found that baseline loneliness and individuals who belong to the highest loneliness trajectories had poorer general cognitive ability and memory scores. Only DNAm age acceleration measures that index physiological comorbidities, unhealthy lifestyle factors (e.g., smokin

SUBMITTER: Lynch M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10699733 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature