Subjective and biological aging: Examining the association between perceived healthy aging and epigenetic age acceleration in a Canadian cohort

Project Summary

This study investigates the association between biological aging (as estimated by DNA methylation) and how people subjectively perceive their own health and aging. We aim to determine whether people’s subjective feelings about their health and aging accurately reflect underlying biological aging processes and if this is influenced by other aspects of their lives and experiences. By analyzing data from baseline and two follow-up timepoints in the CLSA, we examine connections between epigenetic age acceleration and subjective health measures, while considering factors such as inflammation, pain, chronic conditions, mobility, social support, mental health, and healthy aging. Characterizing these associations could provide key insights into whether biomarkers of biological aging are meaningful indicators of subjective perceptions of aging, potentially identifying risk or resilience factors in the healthy aging process.