title: Maintained memory in aging is associated with young epigenetic age.
abstract: Epigenetic alterations during aging have been proposed to contribute to decline in physical and cognitive functions, and accelerated epigenetic aging has been associated with disease and all-cause mortality later in life. In this study, we estimated epigenetic age dynamics in groups with different memory trajectories (maintained high performance, average decline, and accelerated decline) over a 15-year period. Epigenetic (DNA-methylation [DNAm]) age was assessed, and delta age (DNAm age - chronological age) was calculated in blood samples at baseline (age: 55-65 years) and 15 years later in 52 age- and gender-matched individuals from the Betula study in Sweden. A lower delta DNAm age was observed for those with maintained memory functions compared with those with average (p = 0.035) or accelerated decline (p = 0.037). Moreover, separate analyses revealed that DNAm age at follow-up, but not chronologic age, was a significant predictor of dementia (p = 0.019). Our findings suggest that young epigenetic age contributes to maintained memory in aging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. Electronic address: sofie.degerman@umu.se.
authors.forename: Sofie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Degerman
authors.affiliation: Centre for Demographic and Ageing Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Josefsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Annelie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nordin Adolfsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sigrid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wennstedt
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mattias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Landfors
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Haider
authors.affiliation: Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pudas
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hultdin
authors.affiliation: Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nyberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Adolfsson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Aging; DNA-methylation; Dementia; Epigenetic age; Episodic memory; Longitudinal study