In a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on epigenetic aging. The study utilized a prospective longitudinal design, incorporating prepandemic baseline data from a diverse cohort of children, adolescents, and adults. The research aimed to determine whether the pandemic had a measurable impact on epigenetic aging, as indicated by four different epigenetic clocks: DunedinPACE, GrimAge2, Horvath, and PedBE.
The study involved a sample size of 1,028 participants, with 359 children (mean age 9.5 years), 385 adolescents (mean age 15.5 years), and 284 adults (mean age 24.3 years). Salivary DNA was collected at two time points: before the implementation of containment measures in March 2020 and again after the second phase of these measures in 2021.
Results indicated significant increases in epigenetic age acceleration across all age groups. Specifically, the PedBE clock showed a change of b = 0.17 (P < 0.0001), GrimAge2 indicated a change of b = 0.08 (P < 0.0001), and the DunedinPACE clock reported a change of b = 0.13 (P < 0.0001). These findings suggest that the pandemic may have accelerated the biological aging process as measured by these epigenetic clocks.
Interestingly, the study found that prepandemic physical health and parental socioeconomic status were significantly associated with the observed changes in epigenetic aging. However, objective pandemic-related stressors did not show a significant correlation with these changes. In adolescents, a higher perceived burden related to the pandemic was linked to a more pronounced increase in the pace of aging as measured by the DunedinPACE clock (b = 0.04, P = 0.01).
Overall, the findings highlight the impact of psychosocial stressors on biological aging, particularly during critical developmental phases such as adolescence. The study underscores the importance of considering individual risk factors for physical and mental health when assessing the effects of significant life stressors like the COVID-19 pandemic.
What this study does not show
This study does not establish a direct causal relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and epigenetic aging, nor does it provide evidence for the long-term effects of these changes.
Evidence scorecard
- Analytic validity: Established
- Clinical validity: Not established
- Clinical utility: Not established
The evidence is based on primary research involving human participants.