Adverse Childhood Experiences and Accelerated Epigenetic Aging in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos: Nativity as an Effect Modifier.

Background: Whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with accelerated epigenetic aging over time among the Hispanic/Latino population remains unknown. This study examined the longitudinal association between ACEs and epigenetic age acceleration (EAA), as well as potential effect modifiers, among a sample of Hispanic/Latino adults.

Methods: We analyzed 960 Hispanic/Latino adults with DNA methylation (DNAm) profile data from two visits (approximately six years apart) sampled from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). We used PhenoAge, GrimAge, and DunedinPace, a biomarker for the pace of biological aging, to calculate epigenetic aging deviations. Linear mixed models were fit to estimate the association between ACEs and EAA measured by each epigenetic aging measure, adjusting for sex, age, and parental highest education level. Sex and nativity were also assessed as potential effect modifiers.

Results: A one-unit increase in ACE score was associated with a 0.16-year (95 %CI: 0.06, 0.26, p = 0.002) higher GrimAge acceleration (AgeAccelGrim) at Visit 1. Among US-born individuals, a one-unit increase in ACE score was associated with a 0.35-year (95 %CI: 0.12, 0.58, p = 0.003) higher AgeAccelGrim and 0.01-biological year/calendar year (95 %CI: 0.01, 0.02, p = 0.0003) higher DunedinPACE at Visit 1, but statistically significantly weaker associations were found among foreign/US-territory born individuals (p for interaction=0.039 in AgeAccelGrim and 0.001 in DuendinPACE). No association was found between ACEs and the rate of change in EAA between two visits.

Conclusions: ACEs are associated with a higher EAA over time among Hispanic/Latino adults at a constant rate. Hispanic/Latino born in the US are more susceptible to the increased EAA related to ACEs compared with those born in a foreign country or US territory.