Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Columbia University have found a consistent link between poverty, discrimination, and faster biological aging. The meta-analysis integrated data from 140 studies covering nearly 66,000 individuals, measuring aging through changes in the epigenome—chemical markers on DNA that influence gene activity.
This connection held across diverse populations, suggesting that social adversity leaves a measurable biological footprint. The findings underscore how systemic inequality may literally get under the skin, accelerating the aging process at a molecular level.
The study, conducted by the Biosocial team, focused on epigenetic clocks—tools that estimate biological age based on DNA methylation patterns. Across all reviewed studies, lower socioeconomic status and experiences of discrimination were tied to a higher epigenetic age relative to chronological age.
These results have profound implications for public health, pointing to social policies as potential interventions to slow biological aging. Targeting poverty and discrimination could reduce health disparities and improve longevity, particularly among marginalized communities.
The findings offer strong evidence that social environments shape biology, but the researchers note that most studies were cross-sectional, limiting causal claims. Experimental or longitudinal designs are needed to confirm whether interventions can reverse this accelerated aging.