ArticleSSM - population health2022
Accelerated epigenetic aging mediates link between adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms in older adults: Results from the Health and Retirement Study.
Article in SSM - population health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 57 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
57 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 78 citations in OpenAlex.
- The impact of adverse childhood experiences on DNA methylation age: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical epigenetics · 2026Pooled it
- Epigenome-wide association study meta-analysis of BMI in African Americans.HGG advances · 2026Pooled it
- ADHD genetic burden associates with older epigenetic age: mediating roles of education, behavioral and sociodemographic factors among older adults.Clinical epigenetics · 2023Pooled it
- Structural Disadvantage in Adolescence and Biological Aging in Early Midlife.JAMA network open · 2026Observational
- Differential Methylation by Early Life Adversity in the Future of Families Child Wellbeing Study.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Molecular pathways linking chronic psychological stress to accelerated aging: mechanisms and interventions.Frontiers in aging · 2026Review
- Epigenetic clocks moderate the impact of marital status transitions on health in older adults.PloS one · 2026Article
- Early-life nutritional deprivation and multimorbidity in middle- aged and older adults: a longitudinal exploratory mediation analysis of biological aging.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Social genomics and cancer - untangling nature from nurture in squamous cell carcinoma outcomes.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Review
- The double-edged sword effect of adverse childhood experiences forging adult stress into depression and anxiety.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and epigenetic age acceleration in children.American journal of epidemiology · 2025Article
- Relationship stress and epigenetic age acceleration among older U.S. adults in the Midlife in the United States study.Epigenomics · 2025Article
- Article
- Epigenetic and Structural Brain Aging and Their Associations With Major Depressive Disorder.Biological psychiatry global open science · 2025Article
- Work-related stress and burnout: Is epigenetic aging the missing link?Clinical epigenetics · 2025Article
- Remarkable concordance in associations between epigenetic clocks and health behaviors across three countries.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2025Article
- Associations of Leukocyte Telomere Length With Trait Resilience, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Psychological Distress Among Expecting Parents in the FinnBrain Birth Cohort.Biological psychiatry global open science · 2025Article
- Inflammation and minority stress: A moderated mediation model of childhood adversity and mental health in young men who have sex with men.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2025Article
- Cultural mismatch and accelerated epigenetic age during the transition to college.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2025Article
- Development of a novel transcriptomic measure of aging: Transcriptomic Mortality-risk Age (TraMA).Aging · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase risk for depression at subsequent ages and have been linked to accelerated biological aging. We hypothesize that accelerated epigenetic aging may partially mediate the link between ACEs and depression. This study examines 3 three second-generation epigenetic aging measures (viz., GrimAge, PhenoAge, and DunedinPoAm38) as mediators of the link between ACEs and depressive symptoms in older adulthood. We utilize structural equation modeling to assess mediation in the Health and Retirement Study (N = 2672). Experiencing ACEs is significantly associated with an older GrimAge and a faster pace of aging via the DunedinPoAm38. Having an older GrimAge and faster DunedinPoAm38 pace of aging were also significantly associated with more depressive symptoms. PhenoAge was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms and was only associated with experiencing three ACEs. These associations were reduced by socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, including obesity and substance use. GrimAge explained between 9 and 14% of the association between ACEs and adult depressive symptoms, and DunedinPoAm38 explained between 2 and 7% of the association between ACEs and adult depressive symptoms. Findings indicate accelerated aging, as measured by GrimAge and DunedinPoAm38, is associated with ACEs and with depressive symptoms in older Americans. Findings also show these epigenetic aging measures mediate a portion of the association between ACEs and adult depressive symptoms. Epigenetic aging may represent a physiological mechanism underlying the link between early life adversity and adult depression. Weight maintenance and substance use are potentially important areas for intervention.
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