Exposure to ambient temperature and heat index in relation to DNA methylation age: A population-based study in Taiwan

• Published in: Environment international Vol. 186; p. 108581
• Main Authors: Chiu, Kuan-Chih, Hsieh, Ming-Shun, Huang, Yen-Tsung, Liu, Chen-Yu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aging - genetics; Ambient temperature; Biological aging; Climate Change; DNA Methylation; DNA methylation age; Environmental Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Female; Heat index; Hot Temperature; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Taiwan; Taiwan Biobank; Temperature; Taiwan; Heat index; Biological aging; Ambient temperature; DNA methylation age; Taiwan Biobank
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108581

[Display omitted] •First study on the effects of ambient temperature on DNA methylation age among Han Chinese population.•Exposure to high ambient temperature and HI could increase age acceleration.•Effect sizes of high ambient temperature and HI exposures on age acceleration increased with a prolonged exposure window.•An increase in heat stress days could increase age acceleration. Climate change caused an increase in ambient temperature in the past decades. Exposure to high ambient temperature could result in biological aging, but relevant studies in a warm environment were lacking. We aimed to study the exposure effects of ambient temperature and heat index (HI) in relation to age acceleration in Taiwan, a subtropical island in Asia. The study included 2,084 participants from Taiwan Biobank. Daily temperature and relative humidity data were collected from weather monitoring stations. Individual residential exposure was estimated by ordinary kriging. Moving averages of ambient temperature and HI from 1 to 180 days prior to enrollment were calculated to estimate the exposure effects in multiple time periods. Age acceleration was defined as the difference between DNA methylation age and chronological age. DNA methylation age was calculated by the Horvath’s, Hannum’s, Weidner’s, ELOVL2, FHL2, phenotypic (Pheno), Skin & blood, and GrimAge2 (Grim2) DNA methylation age algorithms. Multivariable linear regression models, generalized additive models (GAMs), and distributed lag non-linear models (DLNMs) were conducted to estimate the effects of ambient temperature and HI exposures in relation to age acceleration. Exposure to high ambient temperature and HI were associated with increased age acceleration, and the associations were stronger in prolonged exposure. The heat stress days with maximum HI in caution (80-90°F), extreme caution (90-103°F), danger (103-124°F), and extreme danger (>124°F) were also associated with increased age acceleration, especially in the extreme danger days. Each extreme danger day was associated with 571.38 (95 % CI: 42.63–1100.13), 528.02 (95 % CI: 36.16–1019.87), 43.9 (95 % CI: 0.28–87.52), 16.82 (95 % CI: 2.36–31.28) and 15.52 (95 % CI: 2.17–28.88) days increase in the Horvath’s, Hannum’s, Weidner’s, Pheno, and Skin & blood age acceleration, respectively. High ambient temperature and HI may accelerate biological aging.