Twenty-Four-Hour Rest-Activity Rhythms and Epigenetic Age Acceleration in Middle-Aged and Older Adults
Regular, well-timed daily rhythms associate with slower biological aging in older adults, suggesting sleep and activity timing matter for longevity.
In this JAMA Network Open cross-sectional study (n=207, community adults ≥68 years), stronger and more regular circadian rest-activity rhythms were associated with lower acceleration of biological aging clocks (GrimAge, PhenoAge), while fragmented and mistimed rhythms correlated with greater age acceleration, with sex-specific differences. These findings position actigraphy-derived circadian metrics as accessible behavioral markers of biological aging.
What the study was
- Study design
- Cross-sectional study with 7-day actigraphy + blood DNA methylation
- Population
- Community-dwelling adults in eastern Baltimore (Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study wave 5, 2017-2022); n=207, mean age 68.4 years
- Sample size
- 207
- Category
- Diagnostics
- Maturity
- Exploratory
- Journal
- JAMA Network Open
Why it surfaced
JAMA Network Open study linking circadian rhythm quality to epigenetic age acceleration; NIH NIA collaboration; epigenetic clock is directly on aging watchlist; exploratory cross-sectional limits causal claims.
A plain-language summary of published research — not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about your own care.