Reproductive history and blood cell DNA methylation later in life: the Young Finns Study

BACKGROUND: Women with a history of complications of pregnancy, including hypertensive disorders, gestational diabetes or an infant fetal growth restriction or preterm birth, are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease later in life. We aimed to examine differences in maternal DNA methylation following pregnancy complications. METHODS: Data on women participating in the Young Finns study (n = 836) were linked to the national birth registry. DNA methylation in whole blood was assessed using the Infinium Methylation EPIC BeadChip. Epigenome-wide analysis was conducted on differential CpG methylation at 850 K sites. Reproductive history was also modeled as a predictor of four epigenetic age indices. RESULTS: Fourteen significant differentially methylated sites were found associated with both history of pre-eclampsia and overall hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. No associations were found between reproductive history and any epigenetic age acceleration measure. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in epigenetic methylation profiles could represent pre-existing risk factors, or changes that occurred as a result of experiencing these complications. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13148-021-01215-1.