A recent study has uncovered a crucial connection between random genetic mutations and predictable epigenetic changes in the aging process. By analyzing data from over 9,300 cancer patients, researchers found that mutated CpG sites exhibited less methylation than unmutated counterparts, while nearby intact CpG sites were hypermethylated. This discovery ties together two separate approaches to measuring biological aging: genetic mutations and epigenetic changes. If confirmed by future studies, the findings suggest that DNA mutations may drive aging, with epigenetics serving as a secondary reflection of this process.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/health/ageing/biological-aging-may-not-be-driven-by-what-we-thought