Accelerated biological aging, measured through DNA methylation, may connect childhood socioeconomic disadvantage to cognitive decline in midlife, according to new research published in Aging (Aging-US).
The study, led by Sophie A. Bell and Eric Turkheimer at the University of Virginia, examined 287 participants in the long-running Louisville Twin Study. Researchers applied five widely used epigenetic clocks, including Horvath, Horvath Skin and Blood, GrimAge, and PhenoAge, to estimate DNA methylation age (DNAmAge). Second-generation clocks such as GrimAge and PhenoAge, which capture signals of systemic aging like inflammation and disease risk, were the strongest predictors of long-term changes in Intelligence Quotient (IQ).
Twins who showed faster epigenetic aging experienced larger IQ declines, even after accounting for genetic similarities and shared family environment. The association was most pronounced in individuals raised in lower socioeconomic households. “Our genetically informed twin design suggested that epigenetic aging may represent a pathway through which early-life socioeconomic disadvantage impacts midlife cognitive health,” the researchers wrote.
Lifestyle factors such as smoking contributed to accelerated methylation aging but did not fully explain the link to cognitive decline. The findings underscore the utility of second-generation DNA methylation clocks for capturing biologically meaningful changes that track with midlife cognitive outcomes.
By integrating decades of twin data with molecular aging measures, the study highlights how early-life conditions and biological aging intersect to shape cognitive health during midlife.
Publication Details
Bell SA, Beam CR, Zandi E, Kam A, Andrews E, Becker J, Finkel D, Davis DW, Turkheimer E. Second generation DNA methylation age predicts cognitive change in midlife: the moderating role of childhood socioeconomic status. Aging (Albany NY). 2025 Jul 23; . https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206284 [Epub ahead of print]
The study, led by Sophie A. Bell and Eric Turkheimer at the University of Virginia, examined 287 participants in the long-running Louisville Twin Study. Researchers applied five widely used epigenetic clocks, including Horvath, Horvath Skin and Blood, GrimAge, and PhenoAge, to estimate DNA methylation age (DNAmAge). Second-generation clocks such as GrimAge and PhenoAge, which capture signals of systemic aging like inflammation and disease risk, were the strongest predictors of long-term changes in Intelligence Quotient (IQ).
Twins who showed faster epigenetic aging experienced larger IQ declines, even after accounting for genetic similarities and shared family environment. The association was most pronounced in individuals raised in lower socioeconomic households. “Our genetically informed twin design suggested that epigenetic aging may represent a pathway through which early-life socioeconomic disadvantage impacts midlife cognitive health,” the researchers wrote.
Lifestyle factors such as smoking contributed to accelerated methylation aging but did not fully explain the link to cognitive decline. The findings underscore the utility of second-generation DNA methylation clocks for capturing biologically meaningful changes that track with midlife cognitive outcomes.
By integrating decades of twin data with molecular aging measures, the study highlights how early-life conditions and biological aging intersect to shape cognitive health during midlife.
Publication Details
Bell SA, Beam CR, Zandi E, Kam A, Andrews E, Becker J, Finkel D, Davis DW, Turkheimer E. Second generation DNA methylation age predicts cognitive change in midlife: the moderating role of childhood socioeconomic status. Aging (Albany NY). 2025 Jul 23; . https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206284 [Epub ahead of print]