Epigenetic Age Acceleration Is Associated With HIV Infection Independently of Inflammation
James K Gibb, Joshua M Schrock, Brian Mustanski, Thomas W McDade, Richard T D’Aquila · 2026
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Description
James Gibb and four co-authors ask why HIV ages the body's molecular clocks in a 2026 study. People with HIV show faster epigenetic aging and earlier age-related disease. Inflammation is the obvious suspect, so the team tested whether it explains the acceleration or merely accompanies it.
They studied young adults, eighteen to thirty, born male. Participants with HIV on treatment were matched to similar people without HIV on habits, smoking, and inflammation level, measured by a standard blood marker. Across several clock measures, HIV status alone tracked with roughly five extra years of epigenetic age, at both low and high inflammation levels, plus shorter estimated telomeres. The inflammation markers themselves did not explain the gap. The authors conclude the virus or its treatment leaves a mark on aging biology beyond general inflammation.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | James K Gibb, Joshua M Schrock, Brian Mustanski, Thomas W McDade, Richard T D’Aquila |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 27 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |