Widespread persistent infections have been found to elicit chronic immune activation, with implications for the body’s immune system and biological functions as people age. Using nationally representative data from Waves IV and V of Adult Health, Jennifer Momkius et al. investigated whether these associations extend earlier into adulthood and whether they are linked to four specific persistent infections: cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). The persistent infections were measured at a median age of 28 using infection status and antibody concentrations obtained from collected blood samples. The outcome, predictors of biological aging, including biomarkers of cellular immunosenescence and biological age acceleration, was assessed using the GrimAge, PhenoAge, and DunedinPACE clocks, as well as DNA methylation-based immune cell ratios.
Findings showed strong positive associations between CMV infection exposure and antibody concentrations and both predictors of biological aging. HSV-1, EBV, and H. pylori demonstrated more limited associations and were linked only to biological age acceleration, not to immune-related outcomes. As the first study to examine these relationships among younger, nationally representative adults, these findings suggest that persistent infections, especially CMV, shape biological aging before midlife. Earlier interventions, such as vaccination or improved living conditions, may help mitigate long-term health disparities and immune dysfunction. Read the full article here.
For more important findings using Add Health data, visit the Add Health publications page.
Jennifer Momkus, Kathleen Mullan Harris, Jessie K Edwards, Yang Claire Yang, Chantel L Martin, Allison E Aiello, A Pathogen Penalty? Associations Between Persistent Infections and Biological Aging in the US, The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2025;, jiaf606, https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiaf606