Audrey Yu - Social Impact Department
Link to article: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.6340
Social determinants of health (SDOHs) are environmental, non-medical conditions that influence health outcomes: economic, healthcare, educational, social, and community circumstances that impact health. The article, "Association of Race and Poverty Status with DNA Methylation-Based Age'' by Shen et al dives into how SDOHs affect DunedinePACE scores in socioeconomically and racially diverse populations. DunedinePACE is a new biomarker for DNA methylation (a chemical reaction in the body in which a small molecule called a methyl group gets added to DNA) which correlates with the age of DNA. DunedinePACE scores that are greater than one indicate an individual's DNA is older than their age (ex: a person is 20, but their DNA is biologically 22). Their findings concluded that White Americans below the poverty line and African Americans, regardless of whether they were above or below the poverty line, had high DunedinPACE scores (>1).
The higher DunedinPACE scores revealed that SDOHs like poverty and race can impact health by making DNA age faster, increasing both morbidity and mortality. The study also highlights how African Americans disproportionately experience adverse conditions which are not relieved by being above the poverty line. This finding calls for further research into other SDOHs. Medical professionals should be aware of these effects as they treat patients from diverse backgrounds, understanding how certain SDOHs increase the risk of morbidity and mortality of the patient’s condition. More importantly, it is crucial for healthcare professionals to not only be aware of the effects of SODHs but also advocate against and deter harmful SDOHs.
References:
Shen, B., Mode, N. A., & Hooten, N. N. (2023, April 7). Association of race and poverty status with DNA methylation–based age. JAMA Network Open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.6340
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