Accelerated aging as a modifier of associations between traffic-related air pollution and blood pressure
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An abstract on accelerated aging, air pollution, and cardiovascular disease for submission to the 2024 International Society of Environmental Epidemiology Meeting
Studies have associated accelerated aging with increased sensitivity to air pollution. These studies used DNA methylation-based biomarkers of aging (DNAmAge) and demonstrated that those with greater DNAmAge acceleration had elevated cardiovascular risks when exposed to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP). However, aging is a complex process involving more than DNA methylation. Aging biomarkers based on gene expression (GEXAge) highlight different aspects of the aging process. To strengthen our knowledge of aging, TRAP, and cardiovascular risks we performed a cross-sectional study of 324 participants of the CATHGEN cohort residing in the urban Durham, Wake, and Orange counties of North Carolina – where previous studies were performed. Based on a previous CATHGEN study of DNAmAge, we used proximity to major roads as a proxy for TRAP exposure and examined peripheral arterial disease (PAD), hypertension, and blood pressure as outcomes.