J Acad Nutr Diet. 2024 Jan 10:S2212-2672(24)00002-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2024.01.002. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Higher diet quality scores are associated with a lower risk for many chronic diseases and all-cause mortality; however, it is unclear if diet quality is associated with aging biology.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the association between diet quality and a measure of biological aging – epigenetic aging.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional data analysis was used to examine the association between three diet quality scores based on self-reported food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data and five measures of epigenetic aging based on DNA methylation (DNAm) data from peripheral blood.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: This study included 4,500 postmenopausal women recruited from multiple sites across the United States (1993-1998), aged 50-79 years, with FFQ and DNAm data available from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) baseline visit.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Five established epigenetic aging measures were generated from HumanMethylation450 Beadchip DNAm data, including AgeAccelHannum, AgeAccelHorvath, AgeAccelPheno, AgeAccelGrim, and DunedinPACE.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Linear mixed models were used to test for associations between three diet quality scores [Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and alternate Mediterranean (aMED) diet scores] and epigenetic aging measures, adjusted for age, race and ethnicity, education, tobacco smoking, physical activity, WHI sub-study from which DNAm data were obtained, and DNAm-based estimates of leukocyte proportions.

RESULTS: HEI-2015, DASH, and aMED scores were all inversely associated with AgeAccelPheno, AgeAccelGrim, and DunedinPACE (p<0.05), with the largest effects with DunedinPACE. A one-standard deviation (SD) increment in diet quality scores was associated with a decrement (Beta ± SE) in DunedinPACE z-score of -0.097 ± 0.014 (p = 9.70E-13) for HEI-2015, -0.107 ± 0.014 (p = 1.53E-14) for DASH, and -0.068 ± 0.013 (p = 2.31E-07) for aMED.

CONCLUSIONS: In postmenopausal women, diet quality scores were inversely associated with DNAm-based measures of biological aging, particularly DunedinPACE.

PMID:38215906 | DOI:10.1016/j.jand.2024.01.002