Epigenetic aging has emerged as a significant biological pathway that connects neighborhood environments to health outcomes. Despite this, there has been limited research exploring how neighborhood resources influence epigenetic aging. This study aims to address this gap by examining 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’s 2016 Venus Blood Study. Epigenetic aging was assessed using several 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.
Results
The findings indicated that greater availability of neighborhood amenities, health services, and built infrastructure was associated with slower epigenetic age acceleration. Notably, these relationships were statistically significant for the Horvath and Hannum clocks. Furthermore, the associations were consistent across different demographic groups, including sex, race, and ethnicity.
Additionally, the study found that built infrastructure had an indirect association with slower epigenetic age acceleration, as measured by PhenoAge, GrimAge2, and DunedinPACE, through increased physical activity levels among residents.
Conclusion
The results suggest that enhancing local resources may contribute to slowing down the process of epigenetic aging. Given the implications of decelerated biological aging for reducing morbidity and mortality risks, the authors propose that place-based interventions aimed at improving local amenities, health services, and infrastructure could serve as an effective 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 provide evidence of health outcomes resulting from changes in these resources.
Evidence scorecard
- Analytic validity: Established
- Clinical validity: Not established
- Clinical utility: Not established
The evidence is based on primary research involving human participants.