Fathers’ preconception smoking is associated with a decrease in DNA methylation in the offspring

A paper published recently has shown that fathers’ preconception smoking is associated with a decrease in DNA methylation in the offspring. This was associated with asthma in the offspring.

This is consistent with research that suggests that disturbances in the epigenome through parental exposures even before the child is conceived may explain issues with health and disease.

If men smoke before the age of 15 years and/or before conception, it has been associated with asthma and decreased lung function in their children. This means that an epigenetic effect is resulting in a risk of asthma, obesity and low lunch function following fathers’ early adolescent smoking.

Link to article here https://clinicalepigeneticsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13148-023-01540-7#:~:text=Father’s%20preconception%20smoking%2C%20particularly%20in,low%20lung%20function%20and%20obesity.