Table 2.
Studies Investigating the Association Between Physical Activity or Frailty and DNAm Age
| Ref | Study (Country) | n: Mean Age (SD) or Range, Sex, Other Information | Exposure | Sample; Platform | Epigenetic Clock | ↑ DNAm Age [r With Chronological Age] | Adjustments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (39) | LBC1936 (United Kingdom) | Year 1: 920, age 69.5 (0.83), 49.8% ♀. Year 6: 273, age 76.2 (0.68), 48.4% ♀ | Walking speed, FEV & grip strength | Blood; 450K | AA-Horvath | ↓ Grip strength (β: −0.05, p = .01) & FEV (β: −0.06, p = .006). NS Walking Speed (β: 0.03, p = .45) | Age, sex, cell %, height & smoking |
| (52) | Two subsamples from the Esther cohort (Germany) | 969: age 62.1 (6.5), 50% ♀; 864: age 63 (6.7), 54.5% ♀ | Frailty index | Blood; 450K | AA-Horvath | Frailty, overall and in both samples (β: 0.20 to 0.286, p < .001). | Age, sex, cell %, smoking, alcohol, cancer history |
| (51) | FACHS cohort (United States) | 100: age 48.5 (9.2), 100 ♀, 94% African-American, 17.8% <12th grade education. | Physical exercise | Blood (wave 5); 450K | AA-Hannum | NS Physical Exercise (β: −0.07, p > .05). [r = .82] | Education, BMI, smoking, alcohol, diet, trauma |
| (68) | Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (United States) | 262: age 86 (10), 60.7% ♀, all Caucasian. 206 deceased after 4.4 years | Frailty index | Blood; 450K | IEAA | Frailty (β: 0.20, p = .001), but NS after adjusting for age (effect size not provided, p > .05). [r = .63] | Age, cell % |
| (36) | WHI study (United States) & InCHIANTI study (Italy). | 4,173: age 64 (7.1), 100% ♀; 402: age 71 (16), 56% ♀, all |
Physical activity | Blood, serum; 450K. | IEAA, EEAA | NS Physical Activity. (EEAA β −1.70, p = .09; IEAA β −1.06, p = .91). | Numerous factors |
| (41) | MRC-NSHD cohort; ALSPAC (replication) (United Kingdom) | 790: age 53, 100% ♀. Followed until age 60–64. 988: age 46.9 (4.5), 100% ♀. |
Change in grip strength, standing balance time, chair rise speed | Buccal & Blood (n = 152); 450K | AA-Horvath | ↓ Grip strength, blood NSHD 0.42 kg/y, p = .03), NS buccal (β: −0.07 kg/y, p = .35) & NS ALSPAC (β: −0.03, p = .50). NS all others (βs −0.002 to 0.09, p > .10). [r = .02], NS] |
Cell %, height, BMI, education, SEP (NSHD also smoking) |
| (67) | The Dunedin Study (New Zealand) | 818: aged 38 years, 48% ♀ (n = 743 with longitudinal data) | Physical function | Blood; 450K | AA-Horvath, AA- Hannum | ↓ Balance, Coordination, Physical limitations, Hannum (r = −.05 to −.09, p < .05); NS Horvath (r = −.07 to 0, p > .06). NS Grip Strength (r = −.05 to 0, p > .15) | Sex |
| (63) | MCC study (Australia) | 2,818: age 27–76, 39% ♀, healthy controls matched to cancer cases | Physical activity | Blood; 450K | AA-Horvath, AA- Hannum, IEAA, EEAA | NS Physical Activity (AA-Horvath β: 0.10, p = .45; AA-Hannum β: 0.22, p = .07; IEAA β: 0.07, p = .59; EEAA β: 0.18, p = .11). [r = .73, .76] | Various. |
| (38) | LBC1936 (United Kingdom) | 248: age 79 (0.45), 47.1% ♀ | Sedentary behaviour, 7-day step count | Blood; 450K | IEAA, EEAA | ↓ Steps, EEAA (β: −0.10, p = .03), NS IEAA (β: −0.01, p = .27). ↑ Sit-to-Stand transitions, IEAA (β: 0.006, p = .05), NS EEAA (β: −0.001, p = .67). NS Sendentary Time (IEAA β: −0.11, p = .38, EEAA β: 0.18, p = .09). |
Age, sex |
| (37) | LBC1936 (United Kingdom) | 791: age 70 (0.84), 50.3% ♀. 7.8% frail and 46% pre-frail | Physical Frailty | Whole blood; 450K | IEAA, EEAA | Frailty, EEAA (RR:1.05, p = .02), NS IEAA (RR 1.02, p = .52). | Age, sex, smoking, alcohol, chronic disease |
Note: AA = epigenetic age acceleration; BMI = body mass index; EEAA = extrinsic epigenetic age acceleration; FACHS = Family and Community Health study; FEV = forced expiratory volume; FU = follow-up; IEAA = intrinsic epigenetic age acceleration; LBC1936 = Lothian Birth Cohort 1936; MCC = Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study; MRC-NSHD = Medical Research Council National Survey of Health & Development; NS = not significant; SD = standard deviation; WHI = Women’s Health Initiative study.