Social disadvantage accelerates aging

: Kivimaki, Mika; Pentti, Jaana; Frank, Philipp; Liu, Fangyu; Blake, Acer; Nyberg, Solja T.; Vahtera, Jussi; Singh-Manoux, Archana; Wyss-Coray, Tony; Walker, Keenan A.; Partridge, Linda; Lindbohm, Joni V.

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

: BERLIN

: 2025

: Nature Medicine

: NAT MED

: 31

: 1635

: 1643

: 26

: 1078-8956

: 1546-170X

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03563-4

: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03563-4

: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/491573959

Social disadvantage, like advanced age, is a risk factor for a broad range of health conditions; however, whether it influences the aging process remains unclear. Here, using a multicohort approach, we investigated the associations of social disadvantage with age-related plasma proteins and age-related diseases. We found proteomic signatures of accelerated immune aging and 14 specific age-related proteins linked to social disadvantage during both early and later life. Individuals experiencing social disadvantage had an increased risk of 66 age-related diseases, with up to 39% of these associations mediated by the 14 age-related proteins (for example, DNAJB9, F2, HSPA1A, BGN). The main enriched pathway involved the upregulation of the pro-inflammatory regulator NF-kappa B24 and its downstream factor interleukin-8. Our findings support the hypothesis that social disadvantage throughout the life course may accelerate aging, a biological mechanism that could explain why social stratification plays such a fundamental role in determining human health.

s41591-025-03563-4.pdf

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Wellcome Trust Collaborative Award in Science and the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Aging (NIA)