Marriage associated with decelerated epigenetic aging on one of three clocks in observational study
Cross-sectional analysis of 762 MIDUS II participants examined associations between marital status and three epigenetic aging measures (PhenoAge, GrimAge, DunedinPACE). Being married versus separated/divorced was associated with slower aging on DunedinPACE only. Gender differences emerged for never-married status: men who never married showed accelerated aging on GrimAge and DunedinPACE, while women did not.
What this changes
The finding has not established an approved change to our evidence assessment.
Source date: Sep 7, 2026 · Discovered: Sep 22, 2026 · Assessed: — · Research update
What it does not prove
- Limitations have not yet been verified. Read the primary source.
Extracted from supplied source material; model confidence is not a measured probability of correctness.
Study details
- Design
- Cohort
- Sample size
- 762
- Duration
- —
- Population
- Participants from the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS II); men N = 382, women N = 380
- Primary outcome
- Epigenetic age assessed on three clocks/algorithms: PhenoAge, GrimAge, and DunedinPACE
- Effect size
- Being married was associated with decelerated epigenetic aging on DunedinPACE, but not on PhenoAge or GrimAge. Never marrying accelerated GrimAge and DunedinPACE scores among men, but not women.
- Significance
- Mixed
- Journal
- Frontiers in aging
- Published
- Sep 7, 2026
Sources
Primary source
- Frontiers in aging ↗Peer reviewed
Assessment history
9/24/2026 · SUPERSEDED: Source updated; assessment withdrawn pending review.
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