Epigenetic aging has emerged as a significant biological pathway that connects neighborhood environments to health outcomes. Despite this, there has been limited research examining how neighborhood resources influence epigenetic aging. This study aims to bridge this gap by investigating the effects of neighborhood amenities, health services, and built infrastructure on epigenetic aging.
The research utilized data from 3,786 participants in the Health and Retirement Study, specifically the 2016 Venus Blood Study. Epigenetic aging was assessed using various epigenetic clocks: Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, GrimAge2, and DunedinPACE. These measures were linked to 13 Census-tract indicators that reflect the availability of local amenities, health services, and built infrastructure, sourced from the National Neighborhood Data Archive.
Findings indicated that a greater availability of neighborhood amenities, health services, and built infrastructure was associated with slower epigenetic age acceleration. Notably, these significant relationships were primarily observed with the Horvath and Hannum clocks. The study also found that these associations were largely consistent across different demographics, including sex, race, and ethnicity.
Moreover, the research highlighted that built infrastructure was indirectly associated with slower epigenetic age acceleration, as measured by PhenoAge, GrimAge2, and DunedinPACE, through its influence on increased physical activity among residents.
In conclusion, the study suggests that enhancing the availability of local resources may contribute to slowing down epigenetic aging. Given the implications of decelerated biological aging on reducing morbidity and mortality risks, the findings advocate for place-based interventions aimed at improving local amenities, health services, and infrastructure as a promising strategy for promoting healthy aging.
What this study does not show
This study does not establish a direct causal relationship between neighborhood resources and epigenetic aging, nor does it measure specific health outcomes resulting from these associations.
Evidence scorecard
- Analytic validity: Established
- Clinical validity: Not established
- Clinical utility: Not established