Disentangling the impact of lifestyle factors on health and disease: A molecular epidemiology approach

Over the last century, our lifespan has more than doubled due to advancements in research, technology, better nutrition and medicine. However, this longer lifespan comes with a certain cost. Although we are living longer, these years of life gained are usually accompanied with presence of one or more chronic diseases. To prevent these diseases from occurring, the focus has been on healthy lifestyle factors intervention. While there is a strong link between lifestyle factors and chronic diseases, the exact mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Epigenetics, which can be affected by lifestyle factors, may play a critical role in disease risk. As a result, in this thesis I examined epigenetic mechanisms as a potential underlying link between lifestyle factors and chronic diseases. By investigating these mechanisms, a better understanding of the connection between lifestyle factors and chronic diseases can be gained, leading to improved preventative measures.