Epigenetics and Nutrition: DNA Methylation, Dietary Intake, and Cardiovascular Disease

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DNA methylation represents a gene regulatory mechanism affected by environmental exposures that may be implicated in complex diseases with both genetic and environmental components. Recent evidence suggests that aberrant DNA methylation occurs during aging in a concept known as “epigenetic drift”. This mechanism and its modulation by environmental factors such as diet, may promote the development of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD).

This study brings together multidisciplinary expertise for a collaborative effort to investigate associations between nutrition, DNA methylation and cardiovascular disease in a well-characterized epidemiologic cohort of older adults, the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS). The study will explore the hypothesis that dietary factors modulate the methylation of specific genes thereby contributing to the risk of cardiovascular disease. We will utilize DNA and data collected in the CHS, a large NHLBI-sponsored observational cohort of adults age 65 years and older to investigate the dynamics of DNA methylation in relation to CVD with a focus on nutrition as a mediator in the relationship.

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