2023-06-23 14:15:57
A new study shows that systemic inflammation triggered by atherosclerosis at the subclinical level accelerates the epigenetic age of young people without other pathologies.
The study was carried out by a team from the Carlos III National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC) in Spain. The results, assures Dr. Valentín Fuster, Director General of the CNIC and co-author of the study, reinforce the beneficial role of reducing inflammation through, for example, a healthy lifestyle (following a healthy diet, getting enough physical exercise of regularly…) or certain pharmacological treatments, such as statins (drugs to reduce cholesterol), “which could prevent, or at least, slow down the transition from the subclinical phase of the disease to the appearance of serious cerebrovascular events, such as myocardial infarction or stroke.
The research shows that there is a strong association between the presence, extension, and progression of atherosclerosis at a subclinical level in young people without other diagnosed pathologies, and the acceleration of epigenetic age, as highlighted by Dr. Enrique Lara Pezzi, one of the from the study authors.
The epigenetic age of a person is a way of calculating the biological age (that is, the functional age of their cells and tissues) using their epigenetic clock. Using machine learning algorithms (a form of artificial intelligence) it is possible to predict the biological age and life expectancy of a person based on the methylation of their DNA, as explained by Dr. Fátima Sánchez Cabo, who heads the team of investigation.
But sometimes, clarifies Dr. Sánchez Cabo, this prediction may not be consistent with chronological age (the time elapsed since birth), “so that some people have an accelerated epigenetic age with respect to their chronological age, while others They have an epigenetic age lower than their chronological age.
Fortunately, unlike the germline mutations that we carry in our genome, “methylation changes that occur in DNA can be reversed, opening up a wide range of possibilities to ‘slow down’ our epigenetic age,” says Dr. Lara-Pezzi.
Research team members. (Photo: CNIC)
PESA-CNIC-SANTANDER
The identification of the association between atherosclerosis at the subclinical level and the reduction in estimated life expectancy based on epigenetic clocks has been possible thanks to the massive analysis of the data generated in the PESA-CNIC-SANTANDER, a study led by Dr. Valentin Fuster. Since 2010, the PESA-CNIC-SANTANDER has been studying the progression of atherosclerosis at the subclinical level in more than 4,000 Banco Santander employees aged between 40 and 54 at the start of the study and without previous cardiovascular pathologies.
“The follow-up of this cohort constitutes one of the most important cardiovascular prevention studies in the world,” says Dr. Fuster.
In addition to monitoring the progression of atherosclerosis with advanced imaging techniques, says Lara Pezzi, the new research includes detailed information on the lifestyle of the participants, as well as molecular omic studies.
“These molecular data allow us to advance our knowledge of the causal mechanisms of subclinical atherosclerosis, as well as its clinical consequences, providing key information for a more personalized treatment of the disease in its early stages,” he indicates.
Using transcriptomic and proteomic data, the study has shown that systemic inflammation triggered in those with high levels of atherosclerotic plaque may be a key factor accelerating their epigenetic age.
The authors conclude that their work identifies a strong association between the presence, extent, and progression of subclinical atherosclerosis and an acceleration in epigenetic age, mediated in part by chronic low-grade inflammation triggered by inflammatory cytokines. However, they acknowledge that more longitudinal studies with longer follow-up and more experimental data are needed to better characterize the actual effect of atherosclerosis on health and life expectancy, and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
The new research is titled “Subclinical atherosclerosis and accelerated epigenetic age mediated by inflammation: a multi-omics study.” And it has been published in the academic journal European Heart Journal. (Source: CNIC)
#common #health #problem #age #faster