Accelerated Aging Linked to Increased Odds of Preneoplastic Polyps in the Colon

TUESDAY, Dec. 17, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Accelerated aging is associated with increased odds of harboring preneoplastic polyps (PNP) in the colon, according to a study published online Dec. 10 in Cancer Prevention Research.

Chloe M. Brown, from the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami, and colleagues examined the association of accelerated aging with the presence of PNP (defined as tubular adenomas and sessile serrated adenomas) in the colon in a study involving persons younger than 50 years undergoing colonoscopy. Peripheral blood samples were used to determine biological age and age acceleration, determined by interrogating DNA methylation at specific CpG sites across the genome. A total of 51 patient samples were assessed.

The researchers found that with one year of accelerated aging, the odds of harboring a PNP were 16 percent higher. Male sex remained the strongest risk factor for PNPs.

“Future studies should ensure generalizability, investigate how accelerated aging leads to PNP, and determine how these findings can be used within a risk model,” the authors write. “It is important to note that the relative odds of accelerated aging are small in comparison to the markedly increased odds of having a PNP if a patient is male. This suggests that while accelerated aging is a topic of interest, biological differences should be considered.”

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