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Article Open Access April 03, 2025

Depression, Subjective Health, Obesity, and Multimorbidity are Associated with Epigenetic Age Acceleration

Shervin Assari 1, 2, 3, 4,* and John Ashley Pallera 5
1
Department of Internal Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, United States
2
Department of Psychiatry, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, United States
3
Department of Family Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, United States
4
Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, United States
5
College of Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Publihed in: Current Research in Public Health (Volume 5, Issue 1, 2025)
Page(s): 42-57
DOI: 10.31586/jbls.2025.6041
Received
January 02, 2025
Revised
February 19, 2025
Accepted
March 05, 2025
Published
April 03, 2025
Keywords
Epigenetic Aging; DNA methylation; Self-Rated Health; Depression; BMI; Biological Aging; Health and Retirement Study
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright: Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Scientific Publications
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APA Style
Assari, S. , & Pallera, J. A. (2025). Depression, Subjective Health, Obesity, and Multimorbidity are Associated with Epigenetic Age Acceleration. Current Research in Public Health, 5(1), 42-57. https://doi.org/10.31586/jbls.2025.6041
ACS Style
Assari, S. ; Pallera, J. A. Depression, Subjective Health, Obesity, and Multimorbidity are Associated with Epigenetic Age Acceleration. Current Research in Public Health 2025 5(1), 42-57. https://doi.org/10.31586/jbls.2025.6041
Chicago/Turabian Style
Assari, Shervin, and John Ashley Pallera. 2025. "Depression, Subjective Health, Obesity, and Multimorbidity are Associated with Epigenetic Age Acceleration". Current Research in Public Health 5, no. 1: 42-57. https://doi.org/10.31586/jbls.2025.6041
AMA Style
Assari S, Pallera JA. Depression, Subjective Health, Obesity, and Multimorbidity are Associated with Epigenetic Age Acceleration. Current Research in Public Health. 2025; 5(1):42-57. https://doi.org/10.31586/jbls.2025.6041 
@Article{crph6041,
AUTHOR = {Assari, Shervin and Pallera, John Ashley},
TITLE = {Depression, Subjective Health, Obesity, and Multimorbidity are Associated with Epigenetic Age Acceleration},
JOURNAL = {Current Research in Public Health},
VOLUME = {5},
YEAR = {2025},
NUMBER = {1},
PAGES = {42-57},
URL = {https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/JBLS/article/view/6041},
ISSN = {2831-5162},
DOI = {10.31586/jbls.2025.6041},
ABSTRACT = {Background: Epigenetic aging, measured through various DNA methylation-based clocks, may have implications for predicting disease risk. However, the sensitivity of different epigenetic clocks that have emerged as biomarkers for biological aging and in predicting physical and mental health outcomes remains uncertain. This study examines the age and sex-adjusted associations between multiple epigenetic age acceleration measures and three key health indicators, including self-rated health, depressive symptoms, and body mass index (BMI), in a nationally representative sample of U.S. middle-aged and older adults. Methods: We analyzed data from 4,018 adults in the 2016 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), which included several epigenetic age acceleration measures: HORVATH, HANNUM, LEVINE, HORVATHSKIN, LIN, WEIDNER, VIDALBRALO, YANG, ZHANG, BOCKLANDT, GARAGNANI, and GRIMAGE. Linear regression models were used to assess the associations between epigenetic age acceleration and self-rated health (poor health), depressive symptoms, and BMI, adjusting for age and sex. Results: We found significant positive associations between epigenetic age acceleration and worse self-rated health, higher depressive symptoms, and increased BMI. However, these associations varied across different epigenetic clocks, with some measures potentially having more consistent utility for specific health outcomes than others. Conclusion: Epigenetic age acceleration is linked to poorer self-rated health, greater depressive symptoms, and higher BMI, but choosing which epigenetic clock(s) to use is also important. These findings underscore the need to consider multiple epigenetic aging markers when assessing health risks and highlight the potential for particular clocks to serve as more sensitive indicators of physical and mental health outcomes.},
}
%0 Journal Article
%A Assari, Shervin
%A Pallera, John Ashley
%D 2025
%J Current Research in Public Health

%@ 2831-5162
%V 5
%N 1
%P 42-57

%T Depression, Subjective Health, Obesity, and Multimorbidity are Associated with Epigenetic Age Acceleration
%M doi:10.31586/jbls.2025.6041
%U https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/JBLS/article/view/6041

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Assari, Shervin
AU  - Pallera, John Ashley
TI  - Depression, Subjective Health, Obesity, and Multimorbidity are Associated with Epigenetic Age Acceleration
T2  - Current Research in Public Health
PY  - 2025
VL  - 5
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SN  - 2831-5162
SP  - 42
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UR  - https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/JBLS/article/view/6041
AB  - Background: Epigenetic aging, measured through various DNA methylation-based clocks, may have implications for predicting disease risk. However, the sensitivity of different epigenetic clocks that have emerged as biomarkers for biological aging and in predicting physical and mental health outcomes remains uncertain. This study examines the age and sex-adjusted associations between multiple epigenetic age acceleration measures and three key health indicators, including self-rated health, depressive symptoms, and body mass index (BMI), in a nationally representative sample of U.S. middle-aged and older adults. Methods: We analyzed data from 4,018 adults in the 2016 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), which included several epigenetic age acceleration measures: HORVATH, HANNUM, LEVINE, HORVATHSKIN, LIN, WEIDNER, VIDALBRALO, YANG, ZHANG, BOCKLANDT, GARAGNANI, and GRIMAGE. Linear regression models were used to assess the associations between epigenetic age acceleration and self-rated health (poor health), depressive symptoms, and BMI, adjusting for age and sex. Results: We found significant positive associations between epigenetic age acceleration and worse self-rated health, higher depressive symptoms, and increased BMI. However, these associations varied across different epigenetic clocks, with some measures potentially having more consistent utility for specific health outcomes than others. Conclusion: Epigenetic age acceleration is linked to poorer self-rated health, greater depressive symptoms, and higher BMI, but choosing which epigenetic clock(s) to use is also important. These findings underscore the need to consider multiple epigenetic aging markers when assessing health risks and highlight the potential for particular clocks to serve as more sensitive indicators of physical and mental health outcomes.
DO  - Depression, Subjective Health, Obesity, and Multimorbidity are Associated with Epigenetic Age Acceleration
TI  - 10.31586/jbls.2025.6041
ER  -