The latest research conducted at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and The Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center revealed a connection between educational mobility and the pace of aging among participants in the renowned Framingham Heart Study. This study, which began in 1948 and now spans three generations, found that individuals who achieved higher levels of education tended to age at a slower rate and ultimately lived longer lives when compared to those who did not experience upward educational mobility.
Educational attainment has long been associated with increased longevity, but understanding the mechanisms behind this relationship and whether interventions to promote education can lead to healthier aging has been a challenge. Dr. Daniel Belsky, an associate professor of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School and the Aging Center, emphasized the importance of determining how educational mobility affects aging and mortality rates.
To evaluate the pace of aging, researchers utilized the DunedinPACE epigenetic clock algorithm with genomic data from the Framingham Heart Study participants. Their findings indicated that each additional two years of schooling correlated with a two to three percent deceleration in the pace of aging. This slowing of the aging process was linked to a 10 percent decrease in the risk of mortality, as shown in prior research by Belsky on the DunedinPACE clock’s association with death risk.
Developed by Columbia researchers and introduced in January 2022, the DunedinPACE epigenetic clock assesses the rate of aging by analyzing DNA methylation marks on white blood cells. This innovative tool, named after the Dunedin Study cohort, acts as a speedometer for aging, measuring the rate of bodily changes as individuals grow older.
Biological aging encompasses the progressive molecular alterations that compromise the functionality and resilience of cells, tissues, and organs over time. By analyzing data from 14,106 Framingham Heart Study participants across three generations, researchers connected children’s educational achievements with those of their parents. They then utilized blood samples from a subset of participants to compute the pace of biological aging using the DunedinPACE clock. In their primary analysis involving 3,101 participants, they examined the relationships between educational mobility, aging, and mortality.
Furthermore, the researchers explored whether variations in educational attainment among siblings within the study’s 2,437 participants were linked to differences in the pace of aging. This holistic approach shed light on the profound impact of education on the aging process and longevity outcomes.