Optimism is not associated with two indicators of DNA methylation aging

Eric S. Kim; Kelvin Fong; Lewina Lee; Avron Spiro; Joel Schwartz; Eric Whitsel; Steve Horvath; Cuicui Wang; Lifang Hou; Andrea A. Baccarelli; Yun Li; James Stewart; Jo Ann E. Manson; Francine Grodstein; Dawn L. DeMeo; Laura D. Kubzansky

doi:10.18632/aging.102090

Optimism is not associated with two indicators of DNA methylation aging

Eric S. Kim^*, Kelvin Fong, Lewina Lee, Avron Spiro, Joel Schwartz, Eric Whitsel, Steve Horvath, Cuicui Wang, Lifang Hou, Andrea A. Baccarelli, Yun Li, James Stewart, Jo Ann E. Manson, Francine Grodstein, Dawn L. DeMeo, Laura D. Kubzansky

^*Corresponding author for this work

Preventive Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Evidence indicates associations between higher optimism and reduced risk of age-related conditions and premature mortality. This suggests optimism is a positive health asset, but research identifying potential biological mechanisms underlying these associations remains limited. One potential pathway is slower cellular aging, which may delay age-related deterioration in health. Data were from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) (N=3,298) and the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study (NAS) (N=514), and included dispositional and explanatory style optimism measures. We evaluated whether higher optimism was associated with metrics suggestive of less cellular aging, as indicated by two DNA methylation algorithms, intrinsic (IEAA) and extrinsic epigenetic age acceleration (EEAA); these algorithms represent accelerated biologic aging that exceeds chronological age. We used linear regression models to test our hypothesis while considering several covariates (sociodemographics, depressive symptoms, health behaviors). In both cohorts, we found consistently null associations of all measures of optimism with both measures of DNA methylation aging, regardless of covariates considered. For example, in fully-adjusted models, dispositional optimism was not associated with either IEAA (WHI:β=0.02; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]:-0.15-0.20; NAS:β=-0.06; 95% CI:-0.56-0.44) or EEAA (WHI:β=-0.04; 95% CI: -0.26-0.17; NAS:β=-0.17; 95% CI: -0.80-0.46). Higher optimism was not associated with reduced cellular aging as measured in this study.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	4970-4989
Number of pages	20
Journal	Aging
Volume	11
Issue number	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.102090
State	Published - 2019

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Aging [grant numbers R01AG53273, K99AG055696]; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [grant numbers 60442456 BAA23]; and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences [grant numbers R01ES020836]; and a Veteran's Affairs CSR D Research Career Scientist Award. The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) program is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [grant numbers HHSN268201600018C, HHSN268201600001C, HHSN268201600002C, HHSN268201600003C, and HHSN268201600004C]. The funding sources played no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication.The authors thank the WHI investigators and staff for their dedication, and the study participants for making the program possible. WHI Investigators include: Program Office: (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland) Jacques Rossouw, Shari Ludlam, Joan McGowan, Leslie Ford, and Nancy Geller Clinical Coordinating Center: (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA). Garnet Anderson, Ross Prentice, Andrea LaCroix, and Charles Kooperberg Investigators and Academic Centers: (Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA) JoAnn E. Manson; (MedStar Health Research Institute/Howard University, Washington, DC) Barbara V. Howard; (Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford, CA). Marcia L. Stefanick; (The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH) Rebecca Jackson; (University of Arizona, Tucson/Phoenix, AZ) Cynthia A. Thomson; (University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY). Jean Wactawski-Wende; (University of Florida, Gainesville/Jacksonville, FL) Marian Limacher; (University of Iowa, Iowa City/Davenport, IA) Jennifer Robinson; (University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA) Lewis Kuller; (Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC) Sally Shumaker; (University of Nevada, Reno, NV) Robert Brunner; (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN) Karen L. Margolis CDC: Xiaoyun Ye, Manori J. Silva, Ella Samandar, James Preau, Jr., Tao Jia. A full listing of WHI investigators can be found at: http://www.whi.org/researchers/Documents%20%20Write%20a%20Paper/WHI%20Investigator%20Long%20List.pdf. The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Normative Aging Study (NAS) is supported by the Cooperative Studies Program/ERIC, US Department of Veterans Affairs, and is a research component of the Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information Center (MAVERIC). The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Keywords

DNA methylation
Epigenetics
Health psychology
Healthy aging
Optimism
Psychological well-being

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Aging
Cell Biology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.18632/aging.102090

Cite this

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title = "Optimism is not associated with two indicators of DNA methylation aging",

abstract = "Evidence indicates associations between higher optimism and reduced risk of age-related conditions and premature mortality. This suggests optimism is a positive health asset, but research identifying potential biological mechanisms underlying these associations remains limited. One potential pathway is slower cellular aging, which may delay age-related deterioration in health. Data were from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) (N=3,298) and the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study (NAS) (N=514), and included dispositional and explanatory style optimism measures. We evaluated whether higher optimism was associated with metrics suggestive of less cellular aging, as indicated by two DNA methylation algorithms, intrinsic (IEAA) and extrinsic epigenetic age acceleration (EEAA); these algorithms represent accelerated biologic aging that exceeds chronological age. We used linear regression models to test our hypothesis while considering several covariates (sociodemographics, depressive symptoms, health behaviors). In both cohorts, we found consistently null associations of all measures of optimism with both measures of DNA methylation aging, regardless of covariates considered. For example, in fully-adjusted models, dispositional optimism was not associated with either IEAA (WHI:β=0.02; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]:-0.15-0.20; NAS:β=-0.06; 95% CI:-0.56-0.44) or EEAA (WHI:β=-0.04; 95% CI: -0.26-0.17; NAS:β=-0.17; 95% CI: -0.80-0.46). Higher optimism was not associated with reduced cellular aging as measured in this study.",

keywords = "DNA methylation, Epigenetics, Health psychology, Healthy aging, Optimism, Psychological well-being",

author = "Kim, {Eric S.} and Kelvin Fong and Lewina Lee and Avron Spiro and Joel Schwartz and Eric Whitsel and Steve Horvath and Cuicui Wang and Lifang Hou and Baccarelli, {Andrea A.} and Yun Li and James Stewart and Manson, {Jo Ann E.} and Francine Grodstein and DeMeo, {Dawn L.} and Kubzansky, {Laura D.}",

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year = "2019",

doi = "10.18632/aging.102090",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "11",

pages = "4970--4989",

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T1 - Optimism is not associated with two indicators of DNA methylation aging

AU - Kim, Eric S.

AU - Fong, Kelvin

AU - Lee, Lewina

AU - Spiro, Avron

AU - Schwartz, Joel

AU - Whitsel, Eric

AU - Horvath, Steve

AU - Wang, Cuicui

AU - Hou, Lifang

AU - Baccarelli, Andrea A.

AU - Li, Yun

AU - Stewart, James

AU - Manson, Jo Ann E.

AU - Grodstein, Francine

AU - DeMeo, Dawn L.

AU - Kubzansky, Laura D.

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Evidence indicates associations between higher optimism and reduced risk of age-related conditions and premature mortality. This suggests optimism is a positive health asset, but research identifying potential biological mechanisms underlying these associations remains limited. One potential pathway is slower cellular aging, which may delay age-related deterioration in health. Data were from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) (N=3,298) and the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study (NAS) (N=514), and included dispositional and explanatory style optimism measures. We evaluated whether higher optimism was associated with metrics suggestive of less cellular aging, as indicated by two DNA methylation algorithms, intrinsic (IEAA) and extrinsic epigenetic age acceleration (EEAA); these algorithms represent accelerated biologic aging that exceeds chronological age. We used linear regression models to test our hypothesis while considering several covariates (sociodemographics, depressive symptoms, health behaviors). In both cohorts, we found consistently null associations of all measures of optimism with both measures of DNA methylation aging, regardless of covariates considered. For example, in fully-adjusted models, dispositional optimism was not associated with either IEAA (WHI:β=0.02; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]:-0.15-0.20; NAS:β=-0.06; 95% CI:-0.56-0.44) or EEAA (WHI:β=-0.04; 95% CI: -0.26-0.17; NAS:β=-0.17; 95% CI: -0.80-0.46). Higher optimism was not associated with reduced cellular aging as measured in this study.

AB - Evidence indicates associations between higher optimism and reduced risk of age-related conditions and premature mortality. This suggests optimism is a positive health asset, but research identifying potential biological mechanisms underlying these associations remains limited. One potential pathway is slower cellular aging, which may delay age-related deterioration in health. Data were from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) (N=3,298) and the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study (NAS) (N=514), and included dispositional and explanatory style optimism measures. We evaluated whether higher optimism was associated with metrics suggestive of less cellular aging, as indicated by two DNA methylation algorithms, intrinsic (IEAA) and extrinsic epigenetic age acceleration (EEAA); these algorithms represent accelerated biologic aging that exceeds chronological age. We used linear regression models to test our hypothesis while considering several covariates (sociodemographics, depressive symptoms, health behaviors). In both cohorts, we found consistently null associations of all measures of optimism with both measures of DNA methylation aging, regardless of covariates considered. For example, in fully-adjusted models, dispositional optimism was not associated with either IEAA (WHI:β=0.02; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]:-0.15-0.20; NAS:β=-0.06; 95% CI:-0.56-0.44) or EEAA (WHI:β=-0.04; 95% CI: -0.26-0.17; NAS:β=-0.17; 95% CI: -0.80-0.46). Higher optimism was not associated with reduced cellular aging as measured in this study.

KW - DNA methylation

KW - Epigenetics

KW - Health psychology

KW - Healthy aging

KW - Optimism

KW - Psychological well-being

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DO - 10.18632/aging.102090

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SN - 1945-4589

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SP - 4970

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JO - Aging

JF - Aging

IS - 14

ER -

Optimism is not associated with two indicators of DNA methylation aging

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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