Epigenetic puberty index tracks biological aging and adult health risks
A DNA-methylation measure of pubertal development correlates with established epigenetic clocks and predicts mortality and disease in two large adult cohorts.
medRxiv
In a preprint analyzing 3,642 older Americans and 18,676 Scottish adults, researchers evaluated whether a DNA-methylation index of pubertal development functions as a biomarker of adult biological aging. The index correlated with chronological age and was linked to accelerated aging measured by standard epigenetic clocks in both cohorts. Higher epigenetic puberty scores associated with increased mortality risk in both groups. In the Scottish cohort, the index predicted 10-year onset of diabetes, cancer, and lung disease. In older American women, it tracked higher body mass index, functional limitations, and multimorbidity. The puberty index also explained unique variance in aging outcomes beyond what standard clocks captured.
Why it matters
The findings show that pubertal development and cellular aging share underlying molecular pathways. This reinforces a lifespan approach to biological aging by linking developmental epigenetic marks to adult health.
Caveats
This study is a preprint based on observational human data and has not been peer-reviewed. The observational design cannot establish whether these epigenetic puberty signals directly drive adult disease.
The paper
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Sepideh Zarandooz, Yayouk Eva Willems, Trey Smith, Joshua A. Goode, Colter M. Mitchell, Eileen M. Crimmins, K. Paige Harden, Riccardo E. Marioni,Max Planck Institute for Human Development
medRxiv · 30 Sep 2026 · Preprint, not peer-reviewed
