Epigenetic age acceleration in the emerging burden of cardiometabolic diseases among migrant and non-migrant African populations: the population based cross-sectional RODAM study

Felix P Chilunga; Peter Henneman; Hannah R Elliott; H Toinét Cronjé; Gagandeep K Walia; Karlijn A C Meeks; Ana Requena-Mendez; Andrea Venema; Silver Bahendeka; Ina Danquah; Adebowale Adeyemo; Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch; Marlien Pieters; Marcels M A M Mannens; Charles Agyemang

doi:10.1016/S2666-7568(21)00087-8

Epigenetic age acceleration in the emerging burden of cardiometabolic diseases among migrant and non-migrant African populations: the population based cross-sectional RODAM study

Felix P Chilunga
, Peter Henneman
, Hannah R Elliott
, H Toinét Cronjé
, Gagandeep K Walia
, Karlijn A C Meeks
, Ana Requena-Mendez
, Andrea Venema
, Silver Bahendeka
, Ina Danquah
, Adebowale Adeyemo
, Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch
, Marlien Pieters
, Marcels M A M Mannens
, Charles Agyemang

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

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Abstract

Background: African populations are experiencing health transitions due to rapid urbanization and international migration. However, the role of biological aging in this emerging burden of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) among migrant and non-migrant Africans is unknown. We aimed to examine differences in epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) as measured by four clocks (Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge and GrimAge) and their associations with cardiometabolic factors among migrant Ghanaians in Europe and non-migrant Ghanaians.

Methods: Genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) data of 712 Ghanaians from cross-sectional RODAM study were used to quantify EAA. We assessed correlation of DNAmAge measures with chronological age, and then performed linear regressions to determine associations of body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood pressure, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, and one-carbon metabolism nutrients with EAA among migrant and non-migrants. We replicated our findings among 172 rural-urban sibling pairs from India migration study and among 120 native South Africans from PURE-SA-NW study.

Findings: We found that Ghanaian migrants have lower EAA than non-migrants. Within migrants, higher FBG was positively associated with EAA measures. Within non-migrants, higher BMI, and Vitamin B9 (folate) intake were negatively associated with EAA measures. Our findings on FBG, BMI and folate were replicated in the independent cohorts.

Interpretation: Our study shows that migration is negatively associated with EAA among Ghanaians. Moreover, cardiometabolic factors are differentially associated with EAA within migrant and non-migrant subgroups. Our results call for context-based interventions for CMD among transitioning populations that account for effects of biological aging.

Funding: European Commission.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	E327-E339
Number of pages	13
Journal	The Lancet Healthy Longevity
Volume	2
Issue number	6
Early online date	17 May 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-7568(21)00087-8
Publication status	Published - 17 May 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors are grateful to the volunteers participating in the RODAM, IMS, and PURE-SA-NW studies. We also thank all research staff who were involved in these studies. This work was supported by the European Commission under the Framework Programme (grant number 278901) and European Research Council Consolidation (grant number 772244). FPC is supported by the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Programme of the European Union through the Amsterdam Institute of Global Health and Development (grant agreement 2015?1595). KACM and AA are supported by the Intramural Research Programme of the National Institutes of Health in the Centre for Research on Genomics and Global Health (CRGGH). The CRGGH is supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the Centre for Information Technology, and the Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health (1ZIAHG200362). HRE works in the Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, which is financially supported by the Medical Research Council and the University of Bristol (MC_UU_00011/5). HTC is supported by a grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge Programme: Harnessing the Power of Big Data to Address the Societal Challenge of Ageing (NNF17OC0027812).

Funding Information:
The authors are grateful to the volunteers participating in the RODAM, IMS, and PURE-SA-NW studies. We also thank all research staff who were involved in these studies. This work was supported by the European Commission under the Framework Programme (grant number 278901) and European Research Council Consolidation (grant number 772244). FPC is supported by the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Programme of the European Union through the Amsterdam Institute of Global Health and Development (grant agreement 2015–1595). KACM and AA are supported by the Intramural Research Programme of the National Institutes of Health in the Centre for Research on Genomics and Global Health (CRGGH). The CRGGH is supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the Centre for Information Technology, and the Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health (1ZIAHG200362). HRE works in the Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, which is financially supported by the Medical Research Council and the University of Bristol (MC_UU_00011/5). HTC is supported by a grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge Programme: Harnessing the Power of Big Data to Address the Societal Challenge of Ageing (NNF17OC0027812).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license

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Chilunga, F. P., Henneman, P., Elliott, H. R., Cronjé, H. T., Walia, G. K., Meeks, K. A. C., Requena-Mendez, A., Venema, A., Bahendeka, S., Danquah, I., Adeyemo, A., Klipstein-Grobusch, K., Pieters, M., Mannens, M. M. A. M., & Agyemang, C. (2021). Epigenetic age acceleration in the emerging burden of cardiometabolic diseases among migrant and non-migrant African populations: the population based cross-sectional RODAM study. The Lancet Healthy Longevity, 2(6), E327-E339. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-7568(21)00087-8

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title = "Epigenetic age acceleration in the emerging burden of cardiometabolic diseases among migrant and non-migrant African populations: the population based cross-sectional RODAM study",

abstract = "Background: African populations are experiencing health transitions due to rapid urbanization and international migration. However, the role of biological aging in this emerging burden of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) among migrant and non-migrant Africans is unknown. We aimed to examine differences in epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) as measured by four clocks (Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge and GrimAge) and their associations with cardiometabolic factors among migrant Ghanaians in Europe and non-migrant Ghanaians.Methods: Genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) data of 712 Ghanaians from cross-sectional RODAM study were used to quantify EAA. We assessed correlation of DNAmAge measures with chronological age, and then performed linear regressions to determine associations of body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood pressure, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, and one-carbon metabolism nutrients with EAA among migrant and non-migrants. We replicated our findings among 172 rural-urban sibling pairs from India migration study and among 120 native South Africans from PURE-SA-NW study.Findings: We found that Ghanaian migrants have lower EAA than non-migrants. Within migrants, higher FBG was positively associated with EAA measures. Within non-migrants, higher BMI, and Vitamin B9 (folate) intake were negatively associated with EAA measures. Our findings on FBG, BMI and folate were replicated in the independent cohorts.Interpretation: Our study shows that migration is negatively associated with EAA among Ghanaians. Moreover, cardiometabolic factors are differentially associated with EAA within migrant and non-migrant subgroups. Our results call for context-based interventions for CMD among transitioning populations that account for effects of biological aging.Funding: European Commission.",

author = "Chilunga, \{Felix P\} and Peter Henneman and Elliott, \{Hannah R\} and Cronj{\'e}, \{H Toin{\'e}t\} and Walia, \{Gagandeep K\} and Meeks, \{Karlijn A C\} and Ana Requena-Mendez and Andrea Venema and Silver Bahendeka and Ina Danquah and Adebowale Adeyemo and Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch and Marlien Pieters and Mannens, \{Marcels M A M\} and Charles Agyemang",

note = "Funding Information: The authors are grateful to the volunteers participating in the RODAM, IMS, and PURE-SA-NW studies. We also thank all research staff who were involved in these studies. This work was supported by the European Commission under the Framework Programme (grant number 278901) and European Research Council Consolidation (grant number 772244). FPC is supported by the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Programme of the European Union through the Amsterdam Institute of Global Health and Development (grant agreement 2015?1595). KACM and AA are supported by the Intramural Research Programme of the National Institutes of Health in the Centre for Research on Genomics and Global Health (CRGGH). The CRGGH is supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the Centre for Information Technology, and the Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health (1ZIAHG200362). HRE works in the Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, which is financially supported by the Medical Research Council and the University of Bristol (MC\_UU\_00011/5). HTC is supported by a grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge Programme: Harnessing the Power of Big Data to Address the Societal Challenge of Ageing (NNF17OC0027812). Funding Information: The authors are grateful to the volunteers participating in the RODAM, IMS, and PURE-SA-NW studies. We also thank all research staff who were involved in these studies. This work was supported by the European Commission under the Framework Programme (grant number 278901) and European Research Council Consolidation (grant number 772244). FPC is supported by the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Programme of the European Union through the Amsterdam Institute of Global Health and Development (grant agreement 2015–1595). KACM and AA are supported by the Intramural Research Programme of the National Institutes of Health in the Centre for Research on Genomics and Global Health (CRGGH). The CRGGH is supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the Centre for Information Technology, and the Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health (1ZIAHG200362). HRE works in the Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, which is financially supported by the Medical Research Council and the University of Bristol (MC\_UU\_00011/5). HTC is supported by a grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge Programme: Harnessing the Power of Big Data to Address the Societal Challenge of Ageing (NNF17OC0027812). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license",

year = "2021",

month = may,

day = "17",

doi = "10.1016/S2666-7568(21)00087-8",

language = "English",

volume = "2",

pages = "E327--E339",

journal = "The Lancet Healthy Longevity",

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Chilunga, FP, Henneman, P, Elliott, HR, Cronjé, HT, Walia, GK, Meeks, KAC, Requena-Mendez, A, Venema, A, Bahendeka, S, Danquah, I, Adeyemo, A, Klipstein-Grobusch, K, Pieters, M, Mannens, MMAM & Agyemang, C 2021, 'Epigenetic age acceleration in the emerging burden of cardiometabolic diseases among migrant and non-migrant African populations: the population based cross-sectional RODAM study', The Lancet Healthy Longevity, vol. 2, no. 6, pp. E327-E339. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-7568(21)00087-8

Epigenetic age acceleration in the emerging burden of cardiometabolic diseases among migrant and non-migrant African populations: the population based cross-sectional RODAM study. / Chilunga, Felix P; Henneman, Peter; Elliott, Hannah R et al.
In: The Lancet Healthy Longevity, Vol. 2, No. 6, 17.05.2021, p. E327-E339.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Epigenetic age acceleration in the emerging burden of cardiometabolic diseases among migrant and non-migrant African populations

T2 - the population based cross-sectional RODAM study

AU - Chilunga, Felix P

AU - Henneman, Peter

AU - Elliott, Hannah R

AU - Cronjé, H Toinét

AU - Walia, Gagandeep K

AU - Meeks, Karlijn A C

AU - Requena-Mendez, Ana

AU - Venema, Andrea

AU - Bahendeka, Silver

AU - Danquah, Ina

AU - Adeyemo, Adebowale

AU - Klipstein-Grobusch, Kerstin

AU - Pieters, Marlien

AU - Mannens, Marcels M A M

AU - Agyemang, Charles

N1 - Funding Information: The authors are grateful to the volunteers participating in the RODAM, IMS, and PURE-SA-NW studies. We also thank all research staff who were involved in these studies. This work was supported by the European Commission under the Framework Programme (grant number 278901) and European Research Council Consolidation (grant number 772244). FPC is supported by the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Programme of the European Union through the Amsterdam Institute of Global Health and Development (grant agreement 2015?1595). KACM and AA are supported by the Intramural Research Programme of the National Institutes of Health in the Centre for Research on Genomics and Global Health (CRGGH). The CRGGH is supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the Centre for Information Technology, and the Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health (1ZIAHG200362). HRE works in the Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, which is financially supported by the Medical Research Council and the University of Bristol (MC_UU_00011/5). HTC is supported by a grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge Programme: Harnessing the Power of Big Data to Address the Societal Challenge of Ageing (NNF17OC0027812). Funding Information: The authors are grateful to the volunteers participating in the RODAM, IMS, and PURE-SA-NW studies. We also thank all research staff who were involved in these studies. This work was supported by the European Commission under the Framework Programme (grant number 278901) and European Research Council Consolidation (grant number 772244). FPC is supported by the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Programme of the European Union through the Amsterdam Institute of Global Health and Development (grant agreement 2015–1595). KACM and AA are supported by the Intramural Research Programme of the National Institutes of Health in the Centre for Research on Genomics and Global Health (CRGGH). The CRGGH is supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the Centre for Information Technology, and the Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health (1ZIAHG200362). HRE works in the Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, which is financially supported by the Medical Research Council and the University of Bristol (MC_UU_00011/5). HTC is supported by a grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge Programme: Harnessing the Power of Big Data to Address the Societal Challenge of Ageing (NNF17OC0027812). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license

PY - 2021/5/17

Y1 - 2021/5/17

N2 - Background: African populations are experiencing health transitions due to rapid urbanization and international migration. However, the role of biological aging in this emerging burden of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) among migrant and non-migrant Africans is unknown. We aimed to examine differences in epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) as measured by four clocks (Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge and GrimAge) and their associations with cardiometabolic factors among migrant Ghanaians in Europe and non-migrant Ghanaians.Methods: Genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) data of 712 Ghanaians from cross-sectional RODAM study were used to quantify EAA. We assessed correlation of DNAmAge measures with chronological age, and then performed linear regressions to determine associations of body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood pressure, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, and one-carbon metabolism nutrients with EAA among migrant and non-migrants. We replicated our findings among 172 rural-urban sibling pairs from India migration study and among 120 native South Africans from PURE-SA-NW study.Findings: We found that Ghanaian migrants have lower EAA than non-migrants. Within migrants, higher FBG was positively associated with EAA measures. Within non-migrants, higher BMI, and Vitamin B9 (folate) intake were negatively associated with EAA measures. Our findings on FBG, BMI and folate were replicated in the independent cohorts.Interpretation: Our study shows that migration is negatively associated with EAA among Ghanaians. Moreover, cardiometabolic factors are differentially associated with EAA within migrant and non-migrant subgroups. Our results call for context-based interventions for CMD among transitioning populations that account for effects of biological aging.Funding: European Commission.

AB - Background: African populations are experiencing health transitions due to rapid urbanization and international migration. However, the role of biological aging in this emerging burden of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) among migrant and non-migrant Africans is unknown. We aimed to examine differences in epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) as measured by four clocks (Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge and GrimAge) and their associations with cardiometabolic factors among migrant Ghanaians in Europe and non-migrant Ghanaians.Methods: Genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) data of 712 Ghanaians from cross-sectional RODAM study were used to quantify EAA. We assessed correlation of DNAmAge measures with chronological age, and then performed linear regressions to determine associations of body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood pressure, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, and one-carbon metabolism nutrients with EAA among migrant and non-migrants. We replicated our findings among 172 rural-urban sibling pairs from India migration study and among 120 native South Africans from PURE-SA-NW study.Findings: We found that Ghanaian migrants have lower EAA than non-migrants. Within migrants, higher FBG was positively associated with EAA measures. Within non-migrants, higher BMI, and Vitamin B9 (folate) intake were negatively associated with EAA measures. Our findings on FBG, BMI and folate were replicated in the independent cohorts.Interpretation: Our study shows that migration is negatively associated with EAA among Ghanaians. Moreover, cardiometabolic factors are differentially associated with EAA within migrant and non-migrant subgroups. Our results call for context-based interventions for CMD among transitioning populations that account for effects of biological aging.Funding: European Commission.

U2 - 10.1016/S2666-7568(21)00087-8

DO - 10.1016/S2666-7568(21)00087-8

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

C2 - 35146471

SN - 2666-7568

VL - 2

SP - E327-E339

JO - The Lancet Healthy Longevity

JF - The Lancet Healthy Longevity

IS - 6

ER -

Epigenetic age acceleration in the emerging burden of cardiometabolic diseases among migrant and non-migrant African populations: the population based cross-sectional RODAM study

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