Longevity & Aging

Lifetime Nitrogen Dioxide Exposure Tracks With Higher Epigenetic Age in Teens

Long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide, a common air pollutant, was associated with a slightly older DNA-based age estimate in teenagers. Researchers combined data from multiple birth cohorts, examining pollution exposure during pregnancy and from birth through adolescence. Most comparisons showed no association, including those at birth and in childhood. Among teenagers, each additional 10 micrograms per cubic meter of lifetime nitrogen dioxide exposure was associated with an estimated 84 days higher epigenetic age. This finding remained statistically significant after accounting for multiple comparisons. However, these DNA measurements do not establish faster overall aging, future disease, or shorter lifespan. The observational study cannot prove pollution caused the difference, and it did not test an intervention. This summary is based on the abstract only.