Low birthweight is associated with epigenetic age acceleration in the first 3 years of life

Abstract

Background and objectives The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis posits that early life adversity is associated with poor adult health outcomes. Epidemiological evidence has supported this framework by linking low birthweight with adult health and mortality, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Accelerated epigenetic aging may be a pathway to connect early life experiences with adult health outcomes, based on associations of accelerated epigenetic aging with increased morbidity and mortality. Methodology Sixty-seven mother-infant dyads were recruited in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Birthweight data were collected at birth, and blood samples were collected at birth and follow-up visits up to age three. DNA methylation data were generated with the Illumina MethylationEPIC array and used to estimate epigenetic age. A multilevel model was used to test for associations between birthweight and epigenetic age acceleration. Results Chronological age was highly correlated with epigenetic age from birth to age three (r = 0.95, p < 2.2 x 10 -16). Variation in epigenetic age acceleration increased over time. Birthweight, dichotomized around 2500 grams, predicted epigenetic age acceleration over the first three years of life (b = -0.39, p = 0.005). Conclusions and implications Our longitudinal analysis provides the first evidence for accelerated epigenetic aging that emerges between birth and age three and associates with low birthweight. These results suggest that early life experiences, such as low birthweight, may shape the trajectory of epigenetic aging in early childhood. Furthermore, accelerated epigenetic aging may be a pathway that links low birthweight and poor adult health outcomes.

Birth size and the serum level of biological age markers in men

“…Also, birth size may be linked with biological age in healthy adult individuals which in consequence may lead to various risks of chronic disease development. Recent research reported a negative relationship between birth weight and DNA methylation in men but not in women of 20.8–22.5 years 21 or in epigenetic age acceleration over the first 3 years of life 22 . Another study showed contradictory results for various DNA methylation clocks in young and middle-aged adults 23 or no relationship between birth weight and telomere length 24 .…”