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The objectives of this study were to determine if global DNA methylation, as reflected in LINE‐1 and Alu elements, is associated with telomere length and whether it modifies the rate of telomeric change. A repeated‐measures longitudinal study was performed with a panel of 87 boilermaker subjects. The follow‐up period was 29 months. LINE‐1 and Alu methylation was determined using pyrosequencing. Leukocyte relative telomere length was assessed via real‐time qPCR. Linear‐mixed models were used to estimate the association between DNA methylation and telomere length. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to explore the hypothesized relationship between DNA methylation, proxies of particulate matter exposure, and telomere length at baseline. There appeared to be a positive association between both LINE‐1 and Alu methylation levels, and telomere length. For every incremental increase in …