Greater residential greenness is associated with reduced epigenetic aging in adults
Abstract Potential pathways linking urban green spaces to improved health include relaxation, stress alleviation, and improved immune system functioning. Epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) is a composite biomarker of biological aging based on DNA methylation measurements; it is predictive of morbidit...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-82747-3 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832571742148624384 |
|---|---|
| author | Andrey I. Egorov Shannon M. Griffin Jo Klein Wei Guo Jennifer N. Styles Jason Kobylanski Mark S. Murphy Elizabeth Sams Edward E. Hudgens Timothy J. Wade |
| author_facet | Andrey I. Egorov Shannon M. Griffin Jo Klein Wei Guo Jennifer N. Styles Jason Kobylanski Mark S. Murphy Elizabeth Sams Edward E. Hudgens Timothy J. Wade |
| author_sort | Andrey I. Egorov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Potential pathways linking urban green spaces to improved health include relaxation, stress alleviation, and improved immune system functioning. Epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) is a composite biomarker of biological aging based on DNA methylation measurements; it is predictive of morbidity and mortality. This cross-sectional study of 116 adult residents of a metropolitan area in central North Carolina investigated associations between exposure to residential green spaces and EAA using four previously developed epigenetic age formulas. DNA methylation tests of white blood cells were conducted using Illumina MethylationEPIC v1.0 assays. EAA values were calculated as residuals from the linear regression model of epigenetic age on chronological age. Residential greenness was characterized using tree cover, total vegetated land cover, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in distance-to-residence weighted average greenness within 500 m of residence was consistently associated with a reduced EAA adjusted for sociodemographic covariates, smoking status, white blood cell fractions, and the two-dimensional spline function of geographic coordinates. The reduction in the EAA estimates for the four EAA measures ranged from − 1.0 to − 1.6 years for tree cover, from − 1.2 to − 1.5 years for vegetated land cover, and from − 0.9 to − 1.3 years for the NDVI; 11 of the 12 associations were statistically significant (p < 0.05). This study produced new evidence linking reduced epigenetic aging to greater greenness near residences. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9b2ccae2511a4f41a5c6c628e04109ae |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-9b2ccae2511a4f41a5c6c628e04109ae2025-02-02T12:22:46ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111110.1038/s41598-024-82747-3Greater residential greenness is associated with reduced epigenetic aging in adultsAndrey I. Egorov0Shannon M. Griffin1Jo Klein2Wei Guo3Jennifer N. Styles4Jason Kobylanski5Mark S. Murphy6Elizabeth Sams7Edward E. Hudgens8Timothy J. Wade9Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection AgencyOffice of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection AgencyOffice of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection AgencyZymo Research Corp.Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection AgencyOffice of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection AgencyU.S. EPA National Geospatial Support Team (NGST)Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection AgencyOffice of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection AgencyOffice of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection AgencyAbstract Potential pathways linking urban green spaces to improved health include relaxation, stress alleviation, and improved immune system functioning. Epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) is a composite biomarker of biological aging based on DNA methylation measurements; it is predictive of morbidity and mortality. This cross-sectional study of 116 adult residents of a metropolitan area in central North Carolina investigated associations between exposure to residential green spaces and EAA using four previously developed epigenetic age formulas. DNA methylation tests of white blood cells were conducted using Illumina MethylationEPIC v1.0 assays. EAA values were calculated as residuals from the linear regression model of epigenetic age on chronological age. Residential greenness was characterized using tree cover, total vegetated land cover, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in distance-to-residence weighted average greenness within 500 m of residence was consistently associated with a reduced EAA adjusted for sociodemographic covariates, smoking status, white blood cell fractions, and the two-dimensional spline function of geographic coordinates. The reduction in the EAA estimates for the four EAA measures ranged from − 1.0 to − 1.6 years for tree cover, from − 1.2 to − 1.5 years for vegetated land cover, and from − 0.9 to − 1.3 years for the NDVI; 11 of the 12 associations were statistically significant (p < 0.05). This study produced new evidence linking reduced epigenetic aging to greater greenness near residences.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-82747-3Epigenetic ageDNA methylationResidential greennessTree coverVegetated land coverGreen spaces |
| spellingShingle | Andrey I. Egorov Shannon M. Griffin Jo Klein Wei Guo Jennifer N. Styles Jason Kobylanski Mark S. Murphy Elizabeth Sams Edward E. Hudgens Timothy J. Wade Greater residential greenness is associated with reduced epigenetic aging in adults Scientific Reports Epigenetic age DNA methylation Residential greenness Tree cover Vegetated land cover Green spaces |
| title | Greater residential greenness is associated with reduced epigenetic aging in adults |
| title_full | Greater residential greenness is associated with reduced epigenetic aging in adults |
| title_fullStr | Greater residential greenness is associated with reduced epigenetic aging in adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Greater residential greenness is associated with reduced epigenetic aging in adults |
| title_short | Greater residential greenness is associated with reduced epigenetic aging in adults |
| title_sort | greater residential greenness is associated with reduced epigenetic aging in adults |
| topic | Epigenetic age DNA methylation Residential greenness Tree cover Vegetated land cover Green spaces |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-82747-3 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andreyiegorov greaterresidentialgreennessisassociatedwithreducedepigeneticaginginadults AT shannonmgriffin greaterresidentialgreennessisassociatedwithreducedepigeneticaginginadults AT joklein greaterresidentialgreennessisassociatedwithreducedepigeneticaginginadults AT weiguo greaterresidentialgreennessisassociatedwithreducedepigeneticaginginadults AT jennifernstyles greaterresidentialgreennessisassociatedwithreducedepigeneticaginginadults AT jasonkobylanski greaterresidentialgreennessisassociatedwithreducedepigeneticaginginadults AT marksmurphy greaterresidentialgreennessisassociatedwithreducedepigeneticaginginadults AT elizabethsams greaterresidentialgreennessisassociatedwithreducedepigeneticaginginadults AT edwardehudgens greaterresidentialgreennessisassociatedwithreducedepigeneticaginginadults AT timothyjwade greaterresidentialgreennessisassociatedwithreducedepigeneticaginginadults |