Everything Epigenetics - Integrating Epigenetics into the Social Models of Heath Disparities with Dr. Lauren Schmitz

Integrating Epigenetics into the Social Models of Heath Disparities with Dr. Lauren Schmitz

12/27/23 • 52 min

Did you know that the Great Depression—the worst economic downturn in US history—impacted how fast individuals aged biologically decades later according to their epigenetic aging profiles?!
Yep... you read that right.
Results show that faster epigenetic aging later in life is associated with worse economic conditions, specifically, during the prenatal period, suggesting it may be a sensitive window for the development of later-life disparities in aging. As a result, early-life investments may help postpone age-related morbidity and mortality.
In this week’s Everything Epigenetics podcast, Dr. Lauren Schmitz speaks with me about just that. We take a deep dive into several of her studies which focuses on using genetic and epigenetic measures alongside data on the social environment from population-based longitudinal studies and randomized control trials.
Lauren and I also discuss the methodology she uses for uncovering causal effects from observational data, with the ultimate goal of identifying policy targets that enhance quality of life and extend healthspan.
We also chat about her study results that support DNA methylation-based epigenetic aging as a signature of educational inequalities in life expectancy emphasizing the need for policies to address the unequal social distribution of these World Health Organization (WHO) risk factors, as well as, social disadvantages which may contribute additively to faster biological aging.
I’m extremely excited and passionate about Lauren’s work myself, as it suggests that epigenetic aging measures may contain additional valuable information that could further our understanding of the causes of social disparities in aging and health span.
Lauren is now actively working on assessing measures of biological age in a low-income context, specifically “The Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health”.
In this Everything Epigenetics episode, you’ll learn about:

Lauren’s atypical, windy road into science
The Health and Retirement study
Maternal-fetal epigenetic programming
Why it’s important to look at early-life exposures to adverse events
How we can look at early-life exposures to adverse events through the lens of Epigenetics
In utero exposure to the Great Depression being reflected in late-life epigenetic aging signatures
How early-life investments may help postpone age-related morbidity and mortality and extend healthy life span
Lauren’s study “The Socioeconomic Gradient in Epigenetic Ageing Clocks: Evidence from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and the Health and Retirement Study”
Another one of Lauren’s study titled: “The Role of Epigenetic Clocks in Explaining Educational Inequalities in Mortality: A Multicohort Study and Meta-analysis”
Why is it important to conduct research on the connection

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Thank you for joining us at the Everything Epigenetics Podcast and remember you have control over your Epigenetics, so tune in next time to learn more about how to harness this knowledge for your benefit.

Lauren’s atypical, windy road into science
The Health and Retirement study
Maternal-fetal epigenetic programming
Why it’s important to look at early-life exposures to adverse events
How we can look at early-life exposures to adverse events through the lens of Epigenetics
In utero exposure to the Great Depression being reflected in late-life epigenetic aging signatures
How early-life investments may help postpone age-related morbidity and mortality and extend healthy life span
Lauren’s study “The Socioeconomic Gradient in Epigenetic Ageing Clocks: Evidence from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and the Health and Retirement Study”
Another one of Lauren’s study titled: “The Role of Epigenetic Clocks in Explaining Educational Inequalities in Mortality: A Multicohort Study and Meta-analysis”
Why is it important to conduct research on the connection

Support the show

Where to Find Us:
Instagram

Visit our website for more information and resources: everythingepigenetics.com

Previous Episode

Prioritizing Your Health Investment with Dr. Jeoff Drobot

I always have a great time chatting with Dr. Jeoff Drobot, and in this podcast he doesn’t disappoint.
He is an expert in “age accounting” and often speaks about biological age in terms of environmental debits and credits..
What does this look like?
Well, retirement should not be the first time you start thinking about longevity. Just like a small amount of money invested well can grow to become significant wealth, a small investment in your health can lead to years of a healthier, enjoyable life.
So, what’s the first step for making this investment?
First, know how to cut through the fluff. A huge number of supplements, devices, lifestyle plans, and even prescription drugs claim to promote longevity. While some have true health benefits, others are all hype and may even cause harm.
Second, you need an expert in the field of longevity. Ideally, this is a professional who believes in the power of innovative technology, and has the training and experience to discern what is really worthwhile.
Your longevity expert will need to know how to tailor your longevity plan for your unique physiology and how to make adjustments as needed.
In this episode of the Everything Epigenetics podcast, Dr. Drobot and I chat about making this type of health investment in yourself along with the role of epigenetics and bioregulatory medicine in wellness. Additionally, we discuss how to leverage the power of technology and implement customized medical “biohacking” protocols to protect your investment in longevity.
Remember, your health is your greatest investment.
In this episode of Everything Epigenetics, you’ll learn about:

Dr. Drobot’s journey in medicine
Epigenetics being an integral piece of how Dr. Drobot practices Biological Medicine today
The importance of longitudinal testing
What it means to practice vs. pay for longevity
Biological age in terms of environmental debits and credits
How epigenetic testing has revolutionized Dr. Drobot’s practice
How innovations in biological medicine optimize methylation and therefore biological aging
Multiple case studies from Dr. Drobot’s practice
Resonate breath rate
My WHOOP journey
How epigenetic testing can empower those who are say 40, 50 or even 60 to take charge of preventing cognitive decline disease processes
The newest innovations Dr. Drobot is seeing in the longevity space and utilizing in his practice

Where to find Dr. Jeoff Drobot
Website - https://drdrobot.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdrobot/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/

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Where to Find Us:
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Visit our website for more information and resources: everythingepigenetics.com

Next Episode

The Importance of the Imprintome with Dr. Randy Jirtle

The idea of the impintome is still foreign to many people. So, let’s start with a simple explanation.
For the majority of genes, we inherit two functional copies—one from our mother and one from our father. However, imprinted genes follow a different pattern, as we inherit only one functional copy. Depending on the specific gene, either the copy from our mother or our father undergoes epigenetic silencing. This silencing process typically involves the addition of methyl groups during the formation of eggs or sperm.
The epigenetic modifications on imprinted genes typically stay put throughout the organism's lifespan but undergo a reset during the formation of eggs and sperm. Regardless of their origin, certain genes are consistently silenced in eggs, while others are consistently silenced in sperm.
Soon after egg and sperm meet, most of the epigenetic tags that activate and silence genes are stripped from the DNA. However, in mammals, imprinted genes keep their epigenetic tags. Imprinted genes begin the process of development with epigenetic tags in place.
Imprinted genes are not the only genes that bypass epigenetic reprogramming in the early embryo. Studying imprinting may help researchers understand how other genes make it through reprogramming without losing their epigenetic tags.

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The field of epigenetics and the imprintome has grown exponentially in the past decade, largely fueled by Randy Jirtle's groundbreaking research.
Picture this: his 2003 study on how nutrition impacts gene regulation is the single most talked-about paper in the history of science. Jirtle's discoveries have been a game-changer, unraveling secrets about human health and the roots of diseases.
In this week's Everything Epigenetics podcast, I dive into a captivating conversation with Dr. Jirtle. We explore the fascinating intricacies of his research, unravel its profound implications for understanding disease development, and uncover the urgent call for more scientists to embark on the mesmerizing journey into the world of epigenetics.

In this Everything Epigenetics episode, you’ll learn about:

Jirtle’s seminal 2003 Agouti mouse study
The concept of imprinting and epigenetics
The evolutionary biology approach
How environmental and nutritional exposures can determine phenotypes through epigenetic regulation
The profound impact that Jirtle had on the scientific community with his research
How to identify imprintome regulatory regions in the germline
The discovery of the full imprintome control regions in July 2022
How to measure the imprintome with the imprintome array
How the imprintome is starting to connect the dots to certain disease risks
Future research on imprtinting and human evolution
Challenges in researching the imprintome
Pragmatic appl

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Where to Find Us:
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Visit our website for more information and resources: everythingepigenetics.com