Cardiovascular health is essential for a long and healthy life.
While it has been known that social factors like where you live, your education, access to food, and financial stability can impact heart health, a recent study suggests they may be affecting us on a deeper biological level – through a process known as epigenetic aging.
Understanding Epigenetic Aging
Epigenetics is a branch of science that explores how our environment can change the way our genes work.
Unlike our chronological age, which is simply the number of years we’ve lived, epigenetic age reflects changes in our cells, tissues, and organ systems due to our life experiences.
The Study: Investigating Social Determinants
Researchers examined the data of 2,932 adults participating in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, which started in the 1980s. The average age of participants was around 45 years old, and they had enrolled in the study in their late teens or twenties.
To measure cardiovascular risk, the researchers looked at coronary artery calcium levels (plaque in heart vessels) and the left ventricular mass index (heart’s pumping chamber thickness).
Linking Social Factors to Heart Health
During the seventh year of the study, researchers assessed various social determinants of health, including racial segregation, neighborhood poverty, food security, difficulty affording basic necessities or healthcare, and participants’ or their parents’ education levels.
They discovered that by the 25th year, all these social factors were associated with thicker heart muscle walls. Additionally, food insecurity and financial struggles were linked to higher levels of coronary artery calcium.
Uncovering the Role of Epigenetic Aging
To understand the biological aspect of these findings, researchers examined blood samples to check for epigenetic changes – alterations in genes due to social factors.
They found that education, residential racial segregation, and neighborhood poverty were all associated with epigenetic changes.
Epigenetic aging accounted for 32% of the link between education and heart muscle thickness, 24% for racial segregation, and 21% for neighborhood poverty.
The results of this study suggest that epigenetic changes in genes may help explain why social factors affect heart health. Although this research is preliminary and more studies are needed, it opens the door to exploring how our genes respond to social disadvantages.
Understanding these mechanisms could lead to better detection, treatment, and early intervention for heart disease.
Limitations and Looking Ahead
The study doesn’t prove causation, meaning it doesn’t show that social factors directly cause heart issues through epigenetic aging.
It also only considered a limited number of social determinants of health. As the field of epigenetics continues to advance, more accurate methods may emerge.
This research highlights the complex relationship between social determinants of health and heart health. It emphasizes the importance of considering social factors in diagnosing and treating heart disease.
By looking at the bigger picture, including social aspects, clinicians and public health practitioners can develop more holistic approaches to promoting cardiovascular well-being.
While more research is needed, this study encourages us to recognize and address social determinants of health to prioritize heart health for all.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease, and scientists find how COVID-19 damages the heart.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about Aspirin linked to a higher risk of heart failure, and results showing this drug could reduce heart disease, fatty liver, and obesity.
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