8290632 Epigenetic age acceleration and exposure to pesticides among occupationally exposed workers in Lifelines

<h3>Objective</h3> Pesticide exposure has been implicated in age-related diseases, whereas its association with biological aging remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between occupational pesticide exposure and epigenetic age acceleration. <h3>Methods</h3> We analyzed cross-sectional data from 1,622 participants of the Dutch general population-based Lifelines cohort with available DNA methylation data (Illumina Infinium Human Methylation 450K Array). Occupational pesticide exposure and its subclasses (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides) were assessed based on self-reported occupation and using the ALOHA+ job exposure matrix. Seven epigenetic aging measures, including Horvath, Hannum, Skin and Blood Clock, PhenoAge, GrimAge, DunedinPACE, and DNAmTL, were calculated. Multivariable linear regression with inverse probability weighting was applied to estimate associations, adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and co-exposure to gases, dusts, fumes and solvents. <h3>Results</h3> Occupational exposure to general pesticides was associated with higher age acceleration based on the Hannum (β = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.21 to 2.19), but lower age acceleration using GrimAge (β = −1.56, 95% CI: −2.87 to −0.25) and DunedinPACE (β = -0.03, 95% CI: -0.06 to -0.01). Similar patterns were observed across pesticide subclasses. <h3>Conclusion</h3> This study provided evidence that occupational pesticide exposure is associated with alterations in epigenetic aging, with differential effects observed across various epigenetic clocks. These findings highlight the need for longitudinal studies in larger occupational cohorts in the future.