{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,18]],"date-time":"2026-10-18T01:29:57Z","timestamp":1792286997346,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,13]],"date-time":"2025-06-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1749772800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":12,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000049","name":"National Institute on Aging","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["U01AG009740"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["U01AG009740"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000049","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000049","name":"National Institute on Aging","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["R01 AG060110"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R01 AG060110"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000049","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000049","name":"National Institute on Aging","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["R01 AG071071"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R01 AG071071"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000049","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["J cachexia sarcopenia muscle"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Epigenetic aging measures or clocks are DNA methylation\u2010based indicators of biological aging, linked to health outcomes and disease risk. Physical activity and exercise may influence epigenetic aging, suggesting a pathway through which it promotes healthier aging and reduces chronic disease burden. In this study, we assessed the association between self\u2010reported moderate\u2010to\u2010vigorous physical activity and epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) in participants of the Health and Retirement Study, followed biennially for 12\u2009years from 2004 to 2016.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Leukocyte DNA methylation was measured from venous blood samples collected in 2016 and second\u2010generation epigenetic clocks (GrimAge, PhenoAge and DunedinPACE) were used to assess EAA. Physical activity was assessed at each wave, with participants reporting vigorous activity at least once per week or moderate activity more than once per week or more categorized as \u2018physically active\u2019. We used weighted linear regression models for cross\u2010sectional analysis in 2016. Additionally, we used a structured life\u2010course modelling approach (SLCMA) to assess how the timing of physical activity is associated with EAA, testing both wave\u2010specific physical activity measures and an accumulation measure indicative of sustained physical activity over the follow\u2010up period.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>In 2016, 58% of the participants were classified as physically active. In cross\u2010sectional analysis, physically active participants had lower EAA than inactive participants: \u22121.26 (95% confidence interval (CI): \u22121.59, \u22120.93)\u2009years for GrimAge acceleration, \u22121.70 (95% CI: \u22122.26, \u22121.15) for PhenoAge acceleration and \u22120.05 (95% CI: \u22120.06, \u22120.04)\u2009years per chronological year for DunedinPACE, adjusted for age, gender, race\/ethnicity, education, total wealth and current smoking status. The associations attenuated slightly but remained significant after further adjusting for body mass index, mobility limitations and chronic disease diagnosis. We found evidence of effect modification in the association between physical activity and EAA by social factors, with stronger associations in males compared to females for DunedinPACE (<jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic><jats:sub>interaction<\/jats:sub>\u2009=\u20090.04) and a positive association between physical activity and increased EAA among Hispanics compared to non\u2010Hispanic Whites for GrimAge (<jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic><jats:sub>interaction<\/jats:sub>\u2009=\u20090.009). Our longitudinal analysis using SLCMA identified both accumulation and most recent physical activity in 2016 as the strongest predictors of EAA.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>Our findings highlight physical activity as a robust factor associated with slower epigenetic aging, with both accumulation and concurrent physical activity as the strongest predictors. These results underscore the role of physical activity in promoting healthier biological aging, suggesting its potential as a target for interventions aimed at mitigating age\u2010related health decline.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1002\/jcsm.13873","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,13]],"date-time":"2025-06-13T09:49:50Z","timestamp":1749808190000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":27,"title":["Physical Activity Is Associated With Decreased Epigenetic Aging: Findings From the Health and Retirement Study"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8273-4539","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Farah","family":"Ammous","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research University of Michigan  Ann Arbor Michigan USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mark\u00a0D.","family":"Peterson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation University of Michigan Medicine  Ann Arbor Michigan USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Colter","family":"Mitchell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research University of Michigan  Ann Arbor Michigan USA"},{"name":"Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research University of Michigan  Ann Arbor Michigan USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jessica\u00a0D.","family":"Faul","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research University of Michigan  Ann Arbor Michigan USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_8_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/joim.13533"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s13148-019-0656-7"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2215840120"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41574-020-0377-1"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12864-017-4193-5"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41577-019-0177-9"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1249\/MSS.0000000000003041"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/acel.13828"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/aje\/kwaa251"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.18632\/aging.202913"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.18632\/aging.204602"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41576-024-00807-w"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.18632\/aging.101414"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.18632\/aging.101684"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/gerona\/glaa286"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/gerona\/glad026"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.54870"},{"issue":"23","key":"e_1_2_8_19_1","first-page":"9423","article-title":"DNA Methylation\u2010Based Measures of Biological Aging and Cognitive Decline Over 16\u2010Years: Preliminary Longitudinal Findings in Midlife","volume":"14","author":"Reed R. 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