Is Low LDL Bad For The Epigenetic Pace of Aging?

Summary

The speaker analyzes correlations between his diet, biomarkers, and epigenetic pace of aging over 12 tests. No foods or nutrients significantly correlate with pace of aging, but DHEA sulfate and LDL cholesterol do, suggesting higher levels correlate with slower aging. The speaker plans to increase LDL levels slightly through more coconut butter to test if it further slows his aging pace, while aiming to remain in the safe range for heart disease risk.

Takeaways

• 😀 The transcript discusses analyzing data on epigenetic pace of aging (DN Pace) to try to slow it down
• 🧪 There were no foods or nutrients significantly correlated with DN Pace, so biomarker correlations were analyzed
• 💉 Four biomarkers were significantly correlated: liver enzymes, platelets and inversely DHEA sulfate and LDL
• 📈 Higher DHEA sulfate was correlated with slower epigenetic aging pace
• ⬇️ Lower LDL was correlated with faster epigenetic aging pace
• ❤️ Moderate LDL levels of 65-120 mg/dL had lowest heart disease mortality risk
• 😕 Very low LDL (<65) or high LDL (>120) increased heart disease mortality risk
• 🥥 Saturated fats like coconut oil can increase LDL levels moderately
• 📅 The goal is to safely raise LDL slightly above 85 mg/dL for the next test on March 4, 2024
• 👍 If successful, this could help validate the correlation between higher LDL and slower epigenetic aging

Q & A

What metric is the speaker using to measure epigenetic pace of aging?

The speaker is using DNA methylation age (DNAm age) and DNA methylation pace (DNAm pace) to measure epigenetic pace of aging.

What is the goal of tracking correlations between biomarkers and diet?

The goal is to find dietary factors that are significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with DNAm age and pace in order to follow those correlations to try to improve the biomarkers.

Which nutrient had the strongest correlation with DNAm age and pace?

Vitamin B6 had the strongest correlation with a p-value of 0.1, but no foods or nutrients met the threshold for statistical significance (p < 0.05).

What biomarker had a significant inverse correlation with DNAm age and pace?

DHEA sulfate had a significant inverse correlation, meaning higher levels were associated with slower epigenetic aging.

How could lowering LDL too much negatively impact health?

The data suggests very low LDL (< 65 mg/dL) is associated with higher risk of heart disease mortality. Lowering LDL too aggressively could potentially negatively impact heart health.

What is the safe target range for LDL based on the presented data?

The data suggests an LDL range of 65-120 mg/dL is associated with lowest risk for heart disease mortality.

What dietary change did the speaker make to try to increase LDL levels?

The speaker increased intake of coconut butter to increase saturated fat intake, as saturated fats are correlated with higher LDL levels.

How many data points did the speaker have relating DNAm metrics to other biomarkers?

The speaker had 9-11 data points relating DNAm age/pace to the other 23 blood biomarkers analyzed.

What technique does the speaker use to precisely track dietary intake?

The speaker uses a food scale to weigh all food, tracks intake in Chronometer, and logs averages over 60 day periods leading up to each blood test.

When is the next DNAm age and pace test scheduled?

The next test is scheduled for March 4, 2024, with results expected in April.