Social relationships and epigenetic aging in older adulthood: Results from the Health and Retirement Study.

ABSTRACT: Growing evidence suggests that social relationship quality can influence age-related health outcomes, although how the quality of one's relationships directly relates to the underlying aging process is less clear. We hypothesized that the absence of close relationships as well as lower support and higher strain within existing relationships would be associated with an accelerated epigenetic aging profile among older adults in the Health and Retirement Study. Adults (N = 3,647) aged 50-100 years completed ratings of support and strain in relationships with their spouse, children, other family members, and friends. They also provided a blood sample that was used for DNA methylation profiling to calculate a priori-specified epigenetic aging measures: Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, GrimAge, and Du

SUBMITTER: Rentscher KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10650967 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature