Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29235933›Full record

ArticleEpigenetics2018

Faster ticking rate of the epigenetic clock is associated with faster pubertal development in girls.

Alexandra M Binder, Camila Corvalan, Verónica Mericq, Ana Pereira, José Luis Santos, Steve Horvath, John Shepherd, Karin B Michels

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Epigenetics, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 78 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
78citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
17.1field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

78 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 126 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Using Epigenetic Clocks to Characterize Biological Aging in Studies of Children and Childhood Exposures: a Systematic Review.Prevention science : the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research · 2023
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Environmental, Lifestyle, and Health Factors Associated With DNA Methylation Age.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2020
    Pooled it
  4. Embracing non-linearity in human ageing.Nature reviews. Genetics · 2026
    Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Observational
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Quantification of Epigenetic Aging in Public Health.Annual review of public health · 2025
    Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

18 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Alexandra M Bindera Department of Epidemiology , Fielding School of Public Health, University of California , Los Angeles , 650 Charles E Young Drive South, Los Angeles , CA 90095 , USA.
Camila Corvalanb Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology , University of Chile , Av el Libano 5524, Santiago , Chile.
Verónica Mericqc Institute of Maternal and Child Research , University of Chile , Santa Rosa 1234, 2° piso, Santiago , Chile.
Ana Pereirab Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology , University of Chile , Av el Libano 5524, Santiago , Chile.
José Luis Santosd Department of Nutrition , Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile , Av Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 340, Santiago , Chile.
Steve Horvathe Department of Biostatistics , School of Public Health, and Department of Human Genetics, Gonda Research Center , David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles , 695 Charles E Young Drive South, Los Angeles , CA 90095 , USA.
John Shepherdf Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging , University of California, San Francisco , 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco , CA 94117 , USA.
Karin B Michelsa Department of Epidemiology , Fielding School of Public Health, University of California , Los Angeles , 650 Charles E Young Drive South, Los Angeles , CA 90095 , USA.
University of California, Los Angeles · USUniversity of Chile · CLPontificia Universidad Católica de Chile · CLUniversity of California, San Francisco · US

Funding

Environmental chemicals and postpubertal breast composition in a Latino cohortU01ES026130 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI BRODY, JULIA GREEN, CORVALAN, CAMILA · 2015 to 2019
$4.4M
Predictors of Mammary Gland Development & Breast Fibroglandular Volume at pubertyR01CA158313 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI MICHELS, KARIN B · 2012 to 2015
$1.9M
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA158313NIEHS NIH HHS U01 ES026130
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Epigenetic age is an indicator of biological aging, capturing the impact of environmental and behavioral influences across time on cellular function. Deviance between epigenetic age and chronological age (AgeAccel) is a predictor of health. Pubertal timing has similarly been associated with cancer risk and mortality rate among females. We examined the association between AgeAccel and pubertal timing and adolescent breast composition in the longitudinal Growth and Obesity Cohort Study. AgeAccel was estimated in whole blood using the Horvath method at breast Tanner 2 (B2) and 4 (B4). Total breast volume, absolute fibro-glandular volume (FGV), and %FGV were evaluated at B4 using dual X-ray absorptiometry. The impact of AgeAccel (mean: 0; SD: 3.78) across puberty on the time to breast development (thelarche), menarche, and pubertal tempo (thelarche to menarche) was estimated using accelerated failure time models; generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate associations with breast density. A five-year increase in average adolescent AgeAccel was associated with a significant decrease in time to menarche [hazard ratio (HR): 1.37; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04, 1.80] adjusting for birth weight, maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index, maternal height, maternal education, B2 height, fat percentage, and cell composition. AgeAccel displayed a stronger inverse association with pubertal tempo (HR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.99). A five-year increase in AgeAccel was associated with 5% greater %FGV, adjusting for B4 percent body fat, and maternal traits (95% CI: 1.01, 1.10). Our study provides unique insight into the influence of AgeAccel on pubertal development in girls, which may have implications for adult health.

Indexed as

Epigenesis, GeneticAbsorptiometry, PhotonAdolescentBody Mass IndexBreastBreast DensityChildChileFemaleHumansMenarcheSexual MaturationTime Factorsbreast densityDNA methylationepigenetic clockmenarchePubertythelarche

Identifiers

PMID29235933
PMCPMC5836971
OpenAlexW2774553566

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.