In utero exposure to the Great Depression is reflected in late-life epigenetic aging signatures

Lauren L. Schmitz and Valentina Duque
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Lauren L. Schmitz: a Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706;
Valentina Duque: b School of Public Affairs, American University, Washington, D.C. 20016

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2022, vol. 119, issue 46, e2208530119

Abstract: Causal research on maternal-fetal epigenetic programming in humans is rare and has been hampered by a lack of data that connects early-life maternal insults to offspring health across the life course. This study examines whether early-life exposure to adverse economic conditions during the Great Depression—the worst economic downturn in US history—impacted how fast individuals aged biologically decades later according to their epigenetic aging profiles. Using a quasi-experimental strategy, results show that faster epigenetic aging later in life is associated with worse economic conditions during the prenatal period specifically, suggesting it may be a sensitive window for the development of later-life disparities in aging. As a result, early-life investments may help postpone age-related morbidity and mortality and extend healthy life span.

Keywords: epigenetic aging; fetal programming; Great Depression; aging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nas:journl:v:119:y:2022:p:e2208530119

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