Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Measuring Single-Cell Aging with an Imaging-based Biomarker of Chromatin and Epigenetic Aging
Published on: January 30, 2026
Wealth, Epigenetic Age Acceleration, and Intrinsic Capacity: A Multidomain Mediation Analysis
Hanyul Lee1, Seung-Sup Kim2,3, Hongsoo Kim1,3,4
1Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
None:
ObjectivesSocioeconomic disadvantage is associated with poorer health outcomes, yet the mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study examined whether GrimAge epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) mediates the association between wealth and intrinsic capacity (IC).MethodsWe analyzed 1,143 Health and Retirement Study participants with temporally ordered measures of wealth, GrimAge EAA, and IC. Linear regression models assessed associations between GrimAge EAA and age-adjusted IC. Mediation of the wealth-IC association by GrimAge EAA was evaluated using natural effect models. Uncertainty was estimated via bootstrap.ResultsHigher GrimAge EAA was consistently associated with lower IC across domains. Natural effect models indicated partial mediation of the wealth-IC association by GrimAge EAA for psychology (12.5%), locomotion (11.1%), vitality (33.3%), and the composite score (10.8%).ConclusionOur findings support biological aging as one pathway through which wealth influences functional outcomes in later life, while suggesting that no single biomarker fully captures wealth-related functional decline.
Related Concept Videos
Epigenetic Regulation
Epigenetic Regulation
X-chromosome...
Gene-Environment Interactions
Inheritance
Each gene exists in pairs, and the combination of these genes from both parents forms an individual's genotype. This genotype is a blueprint of potential traits. Examples of genotype traits...
Biological Influences on Intelligence
Epistasis Analysis