Cumulative obesity and genetic susceptibility linked to biological aging in Chinese older adults
In 687 older adults in Rugao, China, longer cumulative exposure to high BMI and waist circumference was associated with two biological aging measures in 2021; a longevity genetic score appeared to modify one waist-circumference association. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The study included 687 older adults with a median age of 79.6 years from the Rugao Longitudinal Ageing Study in Jiangsu, China. [1]
Cumulative BMI and cumulative waist circumference were positively associated with both biological aging metrics assessed in 2021. [1]
A potential modifying effect of genetic susceptibility to longevity was seen for the waist-circumference and biological-age association, more pronounced with a low polygenic risk score. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Community-based cohort study (abstract)
- Population / context
- 687 older adults (median age 79.6 years) in the Rugao Longitudinal Ageing Study, Jiangsu, China.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- August 20, 2026
Rugao cohort of 687 older adults
The abstract describes the Rugao Longitudinal Ageing Study, a community-based cohort in Rugao, Jiangsu, China, with 687 older adults and a median age of 79.6 years. Cumulative BMI and waist-circumference exposure were calculated as the amount above reference values (BMI at least 24 kg/m²; waist at least 90 cm for men and 80 cm for women) multiplied by duration across the 2014, 2017 and 2019 waves.
Supporting source [1]
Biological aging measured in 2021
Two biological aging metrics were assessed at the 2021 wave: Klemera and Doubal method-biological age and physiological dysregulation. General linear regression models were used. Both cumulative BMI and cumulative waist circumference were positively associated with both metrics. Baseline obesity status was positively associated only with the biological age measure, not with physiological dysregulation.
Supporting source [1]
Longevity genetic score and study limits
The authors report a potential modifying effect of genetic susceptibility to longevity on the association between cumulative waist circumference and the biological age measure, with more pronounced associations among participants with a low polygenic risk score for longevity. They suggest long-term obesity management may matter for healthier aging trajectories, particularly in older adults with low genetic susceptibility to longevity. These are associations from one cohort, not proof of cause; the abstract does not report effect sizes, confidence intervals or adjustment details, and the full text was not reviewed.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. This is one community-based cohort, associations are not causal, and effect sizes, confidence intervals and adjustment details are not reported in the abstract.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Yu J, Zhang L, Yang Z, Jia X, Zhao C, Liu J, Zhang J, Cao X, Song Y, Li L, Sun X, Zhang H, Wu W, Jin L, Wang X, Liu Z. · europepmc.org · August 20, 2026