Residential external exposome and epigenetic ageing in 3307 UK adults
In 3307 UK adults, adverse social, built and physico-chemical residential exposures were associated with faster epigenetic ageing, especially on third-generation clocks such as DunedinPACE. These are associations, not causes. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The study included 3307 adults from the nationally representative UK Understanding Society study and linked 30 residential exposures across six domains to postcodes. [1]
Area deprivation, neighbourhood crime, lower social cohesion and greenness, air pollution and higher temperatures were associated with faster ageing on third-generation clocks, particularly DunedinPACE. [1]
Later-generation clocks appeared more sensitive to the biological imprint of the external residential exposome. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Observational study (abstract)
- Population / context
- 3307 adults in the nationally representative UK Understanding Society study
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Publication status
- Preprint · peer-review status not confirmed
- Original publication
- September 16, 2026
30 exposures linked to postcodes in UK adults
The study examined 3307 adults from the nationally representative UK Understanding Society study. Researchers linked 30 residential exposures across six domains — social, built, physico-chemical, retail, health and weather environments — to participants' residential postcodes. They then examined associations with first-, second- and third-generation epigenetic clocks, which estimate biological age from methylation patterns. Four complementary approaches captured individual, joint, domain-level and clustered exposures.
Supporting source [1]
Faster ageing on DunedinPACE and PhenoAge
Adverse social, built and physico-chemical environments showed the most consistent associations with biological ageing. Area deprivation, neighbourhood crime, lower social cohesion and greenness, air pollution and higher temperatures were associated with a faster pace of ageing measured by third-generation clocks, particularly DunedinPACE, and to a lesser extent with PhenoAge. Greater distance to leisure services was associated with older biological age on Horvath's clock and PhenoAge. Clustering identified urban and rural exposure profiles, with faster ageing in the urban profile.
Supporting source [1]
Later clocks more sensitive; abstract-only scope
The authors conclude that residential environmental exposures are associated with epigenetic ageing and that later-generation clocks appear more sensitive to the biological imprint of the external residential exposome. The abstract does not report effect sizes, confidence intervals, follow-up duration or adjustment for confounders, and it does not establish that exposures cause ageing. Only the abstract was reviewed; the full text was not reviewed.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. The abstract reports no effect sizes, confidence intervals, follow-up or confounder adjustment, and associations do not show causation.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Baranyi G, de Hoogh K, Coloma F, Vermeulen R, Kumari M, Tonne C. · europepmc.org · September 16, 2026