GeroScience - Epigenetic aging mediates the association between life course socioeconomic status and decrements in kidney function across a decade

Sep 14, 2026

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Epigenetic aging measures act as molecular indicators of biological aging and can forecast age-related chronic disease risk. The study tests whether established epigenetic aging indices mediate the link between life course socioeconomic status (SES) and longitudinal declines in kidney function over a decade. Biomarker analyses use data from 252 non-Hispanic Black and white participants from MIDUS waves 2 and 3. Kidney function is estimated from serum creatinine-derived eGFR, with 11-year decrements compared across SES categories.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Epigenetic aging indices and pace of aging

Kidney function outcomes and mediation framework

SES definition and study covariates

Key findings and implications

GeroScience [https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-025-01728-0](https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-025-01728-0) Epigenetic aging mediates the association between life course socioeconomic status and decrements in kidney function across a decade Agus Surachman · Meera N. Harhay · Rose Ann DiMaria‑Ghalili · Anthony S. Zannas · David M. Almeida · Christopher L. Coe Received: 20 March 2025 / Accepted: 2 June 2025 © The Author(s) 2025 Abstract Epigenetic aging measures are novel molecular indicators of biological aging that predict age-related chronic disease. We examined whether several established indices of epigenetic aging mediated the association between life course socioeconomic status (SES) and decrements in kidney function across a decade. Biomarker data were from 252 non-Hispanic (NH) Black and white participants who had consented to genetic analyses in Wave 2 (2004– 2009) and 3 (2014–2021) of the Midlife in the United States study (MIDUS) . Life course SES included parental education, a proxy of early life SES, and a composite score of adult SES based on the highest Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at [https://doi](https://doi). org/10.1007/s11357-025-01728-0. A. Surachman (*) · M. N. Harhay Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, 3215 Market St, Rm 552, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA e-mail: [as5796@drexel.edu](as5796@drexel.edu) A. Surachman · R. A. DiMaria-Ghalili College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA M. N. Harhay Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA A. S. Zannas Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA education level, household income to poverty line ratio, health insurance coverage, perception of the availability of money to meet needs, and difficulty level paying monthly bills. We included five measures of epigenetic age accelerations (EAA), based on the residuals after each epigenetic clock was regressed on chronological age (Horvath, Horvath blood and skin, Hannum, PhenoAge, and GrimAge) and one measure of the pace of aging (DunedinPACE) obtained during MIDUS 2. Kidney function was based on serum creatinine–based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), calculated using the CKD-EPI formula (without race adjustment) . We calculated absolute decrements in eGFR across 11 years between MIDUS waves 2 and 3. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and health-related covariates (currently smoking, D. M. Almeida Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA D. M. Almeida Center for Healthy Aging, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA C. L. Coe Department of Psychology, University of WisconsinMadison, Madison, WI, USA obese, hypertension, and insulin resistance) . Lower adult SES and accelerated epigenetic aging, especially accelerated GrimAge and faster DunedinPACE pace of aging, mediated the association between lower parental education and larger decrements ineGFR. Accelerated epigenetic aging is associated with larger decrements in kidney function across a decade and may be one of the critical explanatory pathways for the higher burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) among lower SES individuals. Keywords Epigenetic aging · Geroscience · EGFR · Renal aging · Socioeconomic status Introduction Socioeconomic inequality and systemic racism are known to be fundamental causes of health disparities in the USA [1, 2], including chronic kidney disease (CKD), an umbrella term for various disorders that are associated with a progressive decrement in kidney function. CKD is a leading cause of death in the USA, affecting one in seven US adults (CDC, 2023) . Studies have documented that indi

FAQs

What question does the study address about SES and kidney function?

It examines whether multiple epigenetic aging measures mediate the relationship between life course socioeconomic status and declines in kidney function over a decade.

How is kidney function measured in the analysis?

Kidney function is based on serum creatinine-derived estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) calculated using the CKD-EPI formula without race adjustment.

Which epigenetic aging metrics are evaluated?

The study uses five epigenetic age acceleration measures (Horvath, Horvath blood and skin, Hannum, PhenoAge, GrimAge residual-based indices) plus DunedinPACE.

Sep 14, 2026

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