MEDIATING ROLE OF CMV INFECTION AND GRIMAGE IN THE ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATION WITH HEALTH OUTCOMES IN CANCER SURVIVORS

Q: What question does the study address about cancer survivors?

The study examines whether CMV infection and GrimAge mediate the association between education level and health outcomes in cancer survivors, focusing on comorbidity index and muscle weakness.

Q: How were CMV infection and GrimAge assessed in the analysis?

CMV infection was measured using CMV Immunoglobulin G antibody levels from blood samples, and GrimAge was calculated for a subset of survivors and decomposed into GrimAge_r to represent effects independent of chronological age.

Q: What did the results show regarding mediation for comorbidity index?

In covariate-adjusted structural equation models, CMV infection explained 10.2% (p=0.03) and GrimAge_r explained 18.9% (p=0.01) of the education–comorbidity association.

Q: Did CMV infection or GrimAge mediate muscle weakness?

Neither CMV infection nor GrimAge_r mediated the education–muscle weakness association, with the study noting limited sample size.

Sep 29, 2026

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Cancer survivors with lower education experience a disproportionate burden of health outcomes. These disparities may be partly explained by cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and aging biomarkers. Using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), investigators tested whether CMV infection and GrimAge, an epigenetic clock, accounted for associations between education level and comorbidity index and muscle weakness in 1,337 survivors. In models adjusted for covariates, CMV and GrimAge_r each explained measurable portions of the education–comorbidity link, while mediation for muscle weakness was not supported.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Study Objective

Data Source and Participants

Measures: CMV, GrimAge, Comorbidity, Muscle Weakness

Statistical Approach

Structural Equation Modeling

Mediation Results

Conclusions

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 949 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.3205 MEDIATING ROLE OF CMV INFECTION AND GRIMAGE IN THE ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATION WITH HEALTH OUTCOMES IN CANCER SURVIVORS Shuo Wang, Weihua Guan, Heather Nelson, Bharat Thyagarajan, Susan Everson-Rose, Anne Blaes, and Anna Prizment, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States Cancer survivors with lower education experience a disproportionate burden of health outcomes. These health disparities may be partially explained by cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and aging biomarkers. In the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) – a nationally representative cohort of older adults, we examined whether CMV infection and GrimAge, an epigenetic clock, explained the associations of education (< high school vs. ≥highschool) with comorbidity index and muscle weakness. HRS measured CMV Immunoglobulin G antibody levels in blood samples from 1,337 cancer survivors in 2016 (mean age=72 years, 54% female, 16% Non-white). A comorbidity index was constructed using five conditions (hypertension, lung disease, cardiac disorders, stroke, diabetes), and muscle weakness was assessed using grip strength in the dominant hand for these survivors. Additionally, GrimAge was calculated for 574 of the survivors. We calculated age acceleration for GrimAge as residuals after regressing GrimAge on chronological age to capture its effect independent of age (GrimAge_r). All analyses were adjusted for survey weights to generate nationally representative estimates. In the structural equation model adjusted for age, sex, race, BMI, and smoking, CMV infection explained 10.2%(p = 0.03) of the association between education and comorbidity index (total effect=0.30, p < 0.01) . GrimAge_r explained 18.9%(p = 0.01) of the association between education and comorbidity index (total effect=0.41, p < 0.01) . Neither CMV infection nor GrimAge_r mediated the association between education and muscle weakness; however, the sample size was limited. Our findings suggest that CMV infection and epigenetic clocks may mediate the association between education and health outcomes in cancer survivors.

FAQs

What question does the study address about cancer survivors?

The study examines whether CMV infection and GrimAge mediate the association between education level and health outcomes in cancer survivors, focusing on comorbidity index and muscle weakness.

How were CMV infection and GrimAge assessed in the analysis?

CMV infection was measured using CMV Immunoglobulin G antibody levels from blood samples, and GrimAge was calculated for a subset of survivors and decomposed into GrimAge_r to represent effects independent of chronological age.

What did the results show regarding mediation for comorbidity index?

In covariate-adjusted structural equation models, CMV infection explained 10.2% (p=0.03) and GrimAge_r explained 18.9% (p=0.01) of the education–comorbidity association.

Did CMV infection or GrimAge mediate muscle weakness?

Neither CMV infection nor GrimAge_r mediated the education–muscle weakness association, with the study noting limited sample size.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by WPS_1790064749