Story perspectives

Social Disadvantage Linked to Faster Epigenetic Aging, Study Finds

6/13/2026

Summary

Story summary

Max Planck Institute and Columbia University researchers linked social disadvantage to accelerated aging.
The meta-analysis combined 1,065 effect sizes from 140 studies of 65,919 participants.
Lower socioeconomic status and marginalized racial or ethnic identities correlated with faster epigenetic aging on newer clocks.
Children from low-income households displayed accelerated aging on newer clocks.
In U.S. cohorts, Black participants aged faster than white participants on newer clocks.

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Story summary

Max Planck Institute and Columbia University researchers linked social disadvantage to accelerated aging.
The meta-analysis combined 1,065 effect sizes from 140 studies of 65,919 participants.
Lower socioeconomic status and marginalized racial or ethnic identities correlated with faster epigenetic aging on newer clocks.
Children from low-income households displayed accelerated aging on newer clocks.
In U.S. cohorts, Black participants aged faster than white participants on newer clocks.