Do Epigenetic Clocks Provide Explanations for Sex Differences in Life Span? A Cross-Sectional Twin Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The sex gap in life expectancy has been narrowing in Finland over the past 4-5 decades; however, on average, women still live longer than men. Epigenetic clocks are markers for biological aging which predict life span. In this study, we examined the mediating role of lifestyle factors on the association between sex and biological aging in younger and older adults.

Methods

Our sample consists of younger and older twins (21‒42 years, n = 1 477; 50‒76 years, n = 763) including 151 complete younger opposite-sex twin pairs (21‒30 years). Blood-based DNA methylation was used to compute epigenetic age acceleration by 4 epigenetic clocks as a measure of biological aging. Path modeling was used to study whether the association between sex and biological aging is mediated t

SUBMITTER: Kankaanpaa A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9434475 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature