Key Point:
- The researchers applied an algorithm (DunedinPACE epigenetic clock) to genomic data collected by the Framingham Heart Study to examine the link between educational mobility and aging.
- Two additional years of schooling slowed the pace of aging by 2 to 3 percent, and this slower pace was equivalent to a nearly 10 percent reduction in mortality risk.
- Epigenetic clocks can enhance experimental research by providing results that can reflect the influence of education on healthy aging long before disease or disability develops.
New research published in JAMA network openhighlight that upward educational mobility is significantly associated with a slower pace of aging and lower mortality risk. This analysis of data collected from the Framingham Heart Study connects educational mobility and the pace of biological aging and mortality for the first time.
The researchers applied an algorithm (DunedinPACE epigenetic clock) to genomic data collected by the Framingham Heart Study. DunedinPACE uses analysis of chemical tags in the DNA in white blood cells to measure how quickly or slowly a person's body changes as they age. Examining these DNA methylation marks revealed that two additional years of schooling slowed the pace of aging by 2 to 3 percent. Importantly, slowing the pace of aging equates to a nearly 10% reduction in mortality risk.
The research team used Framingham Heart Study data across three generations to link children's educational attainment data to their parents' educational attainment data. We then used the DunedinPACE epigenetic clock to analyze data from a subset of these participants who provided blood samples.
By combining data on education and the pace of aging with longitudinal records of how long participants lived, the researchers found that the longer lifespans of those with more education are due to a slower pace of aging. It was determined that this was the case. In fact, healthier aging trajectories among highly educated participants explain nearly half of the educational gradient in mortality.
Future studies may collect experimental evidence to support the current results. Combining experimental studies with their analytical strategies can improve our knowledge about the relationship between education and longevity.
“Epigenetic clocks like DunedinPace have the potential to enhance such experimental studies by providing results that can reflect the impact of education on healthy aging well before disease or disability develops later in life. ,'' explained lead author Daniel Belsky, a professor at Columbia University. .