Severe drought exposure in utero associates to children’s epigenetic age acceleration in a global climate change hot spot

Xi Qiao, Bilinda Straight (), Duy Ngo, Charles E. Hilton, Charles Owuor Olungah, Amy Naugle, Claudia Lalancette and Belinda L. Needham
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Xi Qiao: Western Michigan University
Bilinda Straight: Western Michigan University
Duy Ngo: Western Michigan University
Charles E. Hilton: University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Charles Owuor Olungah: Gender and African Studies, University of Nairobi
Amy Naugle: Western Michigan University
Claudia Lalancette: University of Michigan
Belinda L. Needham: School of Public Health, University of Michigan

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The goal of this study is to examine the association between in utero drought exposure and epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) in a global climate change hot spot. Calculations of EAA in adults using DNA methylation have been found to accurately predict chronic disease and longevity. However, fewer studies have examined EAA in children, and drought exposure in utero has not been investigated. Additionally, studies of EAA in low-income countries with diverse populations are rare. We assess EAA using epigenetic clocks and two DNAm-based pace-of-aging measurements from whole saliva samples in 104 drought-exposed children and 109 same-sex sibling controls in northern Kenya. We find a positive association between in utero drought exposure and EAA in two epigenetic clocks (Hannum’s and GrimAge) and a negative association in the DNAm based telomere length (DNAmTL) clock. The combined impact of drought’s multiple deleterious stressors may reduce overall life expectancy through accelerated epigenetic aging.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48426-7

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