Cui Xian, Huo Jianghua, Xu Yaqian, Zhang Hui, Ding Chongyu, Du Jun, Li Xiangwei
Diagnostic Imaging Center, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
School of Public Health and Management, Jiangsu Medical College, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China.
Front Public Health. 2025 Jun 10;13:1535524. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1535524. eCollection 2025.
DNA methylation (DNAm) algorithms, such as GrimAge and GrimAge2, have emerged as reliable measures of biological age acceleration and may offer additional insights into health outcomes. While previous research has explored the relationship between marital status and mortality, its association with accelerated biological aging remains understudied. This study aimed to examine the relationship between marital status and DNAm-based biological age acceleration in older adults.
Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to assess GrimAge and GrimAge2 in 2,420 U.S. adults aged 50 and older. DNAm profiles were measured using the Infinium Methylation EPIC BeadChip kit (Illumina). Linear regression models, adjusted for potential confounders, were used to estimate associations between marital status and DNAm-based biological age acceleration.
Significant associations were observed between marital status and biological age acceleration. After adjusting for potential confounders, never-married males had significantly higher GrimAge2Acc ( = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.17-1.73) and GrimAgeAcc ( = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.28-1.47) scores compared to married males. Additionally, widowed females exhibited significantly higher GrimAge2Acc ( = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.02-0.85) compared to their married counterparts.
This study highlights the significant role of marital status in biological aging, particularly for men. Never-married status may be linked to higher risks of biological aging, highlighting the need for social and environmental interventions that promote healthier lifestyles and emotional support for older adults, especially those without partners. These findings underscore the importance of addressing social determinants of health to mitigate the adverse effects of marital status on biological aging and overall health outcomes.
DNA甲基化（DNAm）算法，如GrimAge和GrimAge2，已成为生物年龄加速的可靠指标，并可能为健康结果提供更多见解。虽然先前的研究探讨了婚姻状况与死亡率之间的关系，但其与生物衰老加速的关联仍未得到充分研究。本研究旨在探讨老年人婚姻状况与基于DNAm的生物年龄加速之间的关系。
使用来自美国国家健康与营养检查调查（NHANES）的数据，对2420名年龄在50岁及以上的美国成年人的GrimAge和GrimAge2进行评估。使用Infinium甲基化EPIC BeadChip试剂盒（Illumina）测量DNAm谱。采用调整了潜在混杂因素的线性回归模型，估计婚姻状况与基于DNAm的生物年龄加速之间的关联。
观察到婚姻状况与生物年龄加速之间存在显著关联。在调整潜在混杂因素后，未婚男性的GrimAge2Acc（β = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.17 - 1.73）和GrimAgeAcc（β = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.28 - 1.47）得分显著高于已婚男性。此外，丧偶女性的GrimAge2Acc（β = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.02 - 0.85）显著高于已婚女性。
本研究强调了婚姻状况在生物衰老中的重要作用，尤其是对男性而言。未婚状态可能与生物衰老风险较高有关，这凸显了需要采取社会和环境干预措施，以促进老年人，特别是那些没有伴侣的老年人更健康的生活方式和情感支持。这些发现强调了应对健康的社会决定因素以减轻婚姻状况对生物衰老和整体健康结果的不利影响的重要性。
