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Review
. 2022 Sep 13:10:985274.
doi: 10.3389/fcell.2022.985274. eCollection 2022.

The epigenetic aging, obesity, and lifestyle

Marica Franzago  1   2 , Lucrezia Pilenzi  2   3 , Sara Di Rado  2 , Ester Vitacolonna  1   2 , Liborio Stuppia  2   3
Affiliations
Review

The epigenetic aging, obesity, and lifestyle

Marica Franzago et al. Front Cell Dev Biol. .

Abstract

The prevalence of obesity has dramatically increased worldwide over the past decades. Aging-related chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, are more prevalent in individuals with obesity, thus reducing their lifespan. Epigenetic clocks, the new metrics of biological age based on DNA methylation patterns, could be considered a reflection of the state of one's health. Several environmental exposures and lifestyle factors can induce epigenetic aging accelerations, including obesity, thus leading to an increased risk of age-related diseases. The insight into the complex link between obesity and aging might have significant implications for the promotion of health and the mitigation of future disease risk. The present narrative review takes into account the interaction between epigenetic aging and obesity, suggesting that epigenome may be an intriguing target for age-related physiological changes and that its modification could influence aging and prolong a healthy lifespan. Therefore, we have focused on DNA methylation age as a clinical biomarker, as well as on the potential reversal of epigenetic age using a personalized diet- and lifestyle-based intervention.

Keywords: BMI; DNA methylation; DNAm age; epigenetics; lifestyle; obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Similarities in cellular and molecular alterations of both ageing and obesity resulting in a vicious propagatory cycle which triggers the development of age-related diseases. The senescent cell was adapted from Narasimhan et al., 2021. Abbreviations: TAFs: telomere-associated DNA damage foci; SAHF: Senescence-associated heterochromatin foci; SA-β-gal: senescence-associated β-galactosidase.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The epigenetic clock and telomere length are associated with chronological age. The epigenetic modifications induced by an unhealthy lifestyle can accelerate epigenetic aging. Due to the potential reversal of epigenetic aging, some targeted population groups, such as obese subjects might respond to changes in lifestyle.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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