THURSDAY, Feb. 22, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Accelerated epigenetic aging is seen in women with HIV versus women without HIV, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Stephanie Shiau, Ph.D., from the Rutgers School of Public Health in Piscataway, New Jersey, and colleagues examined the relationship between accelerated epigenetic aging and musculoskeletal outcomes in women with HIV. The analysis included 118 women with HIV and 72 without HIV.

The researchers found that women with HIV had higher epigenetic age acceleration and lower DNA methylation-estimated telomere length compared with women without HIV. Accelerated epigenetic aging was not significantly associated with bone mineral density, but was associated with lower physical function.

“Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind accelerated aging in people with HIV is crucial for developing targeted interventions and improving the quality of life for those living with the virus,” Shiau said in a statement. “The work demonstrates that women living with HIV experience an accelerated aging process at the DNA level, and that this aging process may be linked to functional outcomes. Future studies will need to see whether these findings are observed longitudinally.”

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