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Early-Life Intelligence Predicts Midlife Biological Age
Jonathan D Schaefer1, Avshalom Caspi2,3, Daniel W Belsky4,5
1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. jds116@duke.edu.
Summary
Lower early-life intelligence is linked to faster biological aging by midlife. This suggests intelligence may influence health and lifespan by affecting physiological deterioration rates.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Gerontology
- Public Health
Background:
- Early-life intelligence is a known predictor of mortality across global populations.
- This association suggests intelligence may influence mortality via physiological deterioration, or "biological age" differences.
- Research is needed to explore intelligence's predictive power on aging markers before significant age-related diseases manifest.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if early-life intelligence predicts biological age in midlife.
- To examine intelligence's association with various aging indicators before the onset of major age-related diseases.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Dunedin Study, a population-representative birth cohort.
- Assessed intelligence at multiple life stages: early childhood, middle childhood, and midlife.
- Measured midlife biological age using perceived facial aging, a 10-biomarker algorithm (NHANES data), and Framingham heart age.
Main Results:
- Lower intelligence significantly predicted more advanced biological age at midlife.
- Associations were observed with perceived facial age, a 10-biomarker algorithm, and Framingham heart age (correlations ranging from 0.1 to 0.2).
- Intelligence remained a predictor of biological age even when assessed before formal schooling, independent of childhood health and socioeconomic status.
Conclusions:
- Accelerated aging may be a key mechanism linking lower early-life intelligence to increased morbidity and mortality.
- These findings highlight the long-term impact of early cognitive ability on physiological aging processes.
- Intelligence is a significant predictor of biological aging, suggesting a role in health trajectories throughout the lifespan.
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