Proteomics-based aging clocks in midlife or late-life and their associated risk of dementia

Abstract Background: Biological age can be quantified by composite proteomic scores, called proteomics-based aging clocks (PACs). We investigated whether a discrepancy between chronological and biological age in midlife and late-life is associated with cognition and dementia risk. Methods: We used t...

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Main Authors: Sanaz Sedaghat, Saeun Park, Rob F. Walker, Shuo Wang, Jialing Liu, Timothy M. Hughes, Behnam Sabayan, Weihong Tang, Josef Coresh, James S. Pankow, Keenan A. Walker, Ramon Casanova, Ruth Dubin, Rajat Deo, Jerome I. Rotter, Alexis C. Wood, Peter Ganz, Pamela L. Lutsey, Weihua Guan, Anna Prizment
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-08-01
Series:Communications Medicine
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-025-01096-y
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author Sanaz Sedaghat
Saeun Park
Rob F. Walker
Shuo Wang
Jialing Liu
Timothy M. Hughes
Behnam Sabayan
Weihong Tang
Josef Coresh
James S. Pankow
Keenan A. Walker
Ramon Casanova
Ruth Dubin
Rajat Deo
Jerome I. Rotter
Alexis C. Wood
Peter Ganz
Pamela L. Lutsey
Weihua Guan
Anna Prizment
author_facet Sanaz Sedaghat
Saeun Park
Rob F. Walker
Shuo Wang
Jialing Liu
Timothy M. Hughes
Behnam Sabayan
Weihong Tang
Josef Coresh
James S. Pankow
Keenan A. Walker
Ramon Casanova
Ruth Dubin
Rajat Deo
Jerome I. Rotter
Alexis C. Wood
Peter Ganz
Pamela L. Lutsey
Weihua Guan
Anna Prizment
author_sort Sanaz Sedaghat
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background: Biological age can be quantified by composite proteomic scores, called proteomics-based aging clocks (PACs). We investigated whether a discrepancy between chronological and biological age in midlife and late-life is associated with cognition and dementia risk. Methods: We used two longitudinal population-based studies: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). PACs were created in ARIC at midlife (mean age: 58 years, 57% female, n = 11,758) and late-life (mean age: 77 years, 56% female, n = 4934) using elastic net regression models in two-thirds of dementia-free participants and validated in the remaining one-third of participants. Proteomics-based age acceleration (PAA) was calculated as residuals after regressing PACs on chronological age. We validated the midlife PAC in the MESA cohort (mean age: 62 years, 52% female, n = 5829). We used multivariable linear and Cox proportional hazards regression to assess the association of PAA with cognitive function and dementia incidence, respectively. Results: In ARIC, every five years, PAA is associated with lower global cognition: difference: −0.11, 95% confidence interval[CI]: −0.16, −0.06) using midlife PAA and difference: −0.17, CI: −0.23, −0.12 using late-life PAA. Midlife PAA is associated with higher dementia risk (hazard ratio[HR]: 1.20 [CI: 1.04, 1.36]) and more prominently when using late-life PAA (HR: 2.14 [CI:1.67, 2.73]). Similar findings are observed in MESA: PAA is associated with lower global cognitive function (difference: −0.08 [CI: −0.14, −0.03]) and higher dementia risk (HR:1.23 [CI: 1.04, 1.46]). Conclusions Accelerated biological age is associated with lower cognition and a higher risk of dementia in midlife and more prominently in late life.
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spelling doaj-art-91c0c4792ceb40f9a834f95603535c812025-08-20T03:46:29ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Medicine2730-664X2025-08-015111010.1038/s43856-025-01096-yProteomics-based aging clocks in midlife or late-life and their associated risk of dementiaSanaz Sedaghat0Saeun Park1Rob F. Walker2Shuo Wang3Jialing Liu4Timothy M. Hughes5Behnam Sabayan6Weihong Tang7Josef Coresh8James S. Pankow9Keenan A. Walker10Ramon Casanova11Ruth Dubin12Rajat Deo13Jerome I. Rotter14Alexis C. Wood15Peter Ganz16Pamela L. Lutsey17Weihua Guan18Anna Prizment19Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of MinnesotaDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of MinnesotaDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of MinnesotaDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Medical School, University of MinnesotaDivision of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Public Health, University of MinnesotaWake Forest University School of MedicineDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of MinnesotaDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of MinnesotaDepartments of Population Health and Medicine, NYU Glossman School of MedicineDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of MinnesotaLaboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on AgingDepartment of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Division of Nephrology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDivision of Cardiovascular Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaInstitute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation; Department of Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical CenterUS Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of MedicineDivision of Cardiology, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Department of Medicine, University of CaliforniaDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of MinnesotaDivision of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Public Health, University of MinnesotaDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Medical School, University of MinnesotaAbstract Background: Biological age can be quantified by composite proteomic scores, called proteomics-based aging clocks (PACs). We investigated whether a discrepancy between chronological and biological age in midlife and late-life is associated with cognition and dementia risk. Methods: We used two longitudinal population-based studies: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). PACs were created in ARIC at midlife (mean age: 58 years, 57% female, n = 11,758) and late-life (mean age: 77 years, 56% female, n = 4934) using elastic net regression models in two-thirds of dementia-free participants and validated in the remaining one-third of participants. Proteomics-based age acceleration (PAA) was calculated as residuals after regressing PACs on chronological age. We validated the midlife PAC in the MESA cohort (mean age: 62 years, 52% female, n = 5829). We used multivariable linear and Cox proportional hazards regression to assess the association of PAA with cognitive function and dementia incidence, respectively. Results: In ARIC, every five years, PAA is associated with lower global cognition: difference: −0.11, 95% confidence interval[CI]: −0.16, −0.06) using midlife PAA and difference: −0.17, CI: −0.23, −0.12 using late-life PAA. Midlife PAA is associated with higher dementia risk (hazard ratio[HR]: 1.20 [CI: 1.04, 1.36]) and more prominently when using late-life PAA (HR: 2.14 [CI:1.67, 2.73]). Similar findings are observed in MESA: PAA is associated with lower global cognitive function (difference: −0.08 [CI: −0.14, −0.03]) and higher dementia risk (HR:1.23 [CI: 1.04, 1.46]). Conclusions Accelerated biological age is associated with lower cognition and a higher risk of dementia in midlife and more prominently in late life.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-025-01096-y
spellingShingle Sanaz Sedaghat
Saeun Park
Rob F. Walker
Shuo Wang
Jialing Liu
Timothy M. Hughes
Behnam Sabayan
Weihong Tang
Josef Coresh
James S. Pankow
Keenan A. Walker
Ramon Casanova
Ruth Dubin
Rajat Deo
Jerome I. Rotter
Alexis C. Wood
Peter Ganz
Pamela L. Lutsey
Weihua Guan
Anna Prizment
Proteomics-based aging clocks in midlife or late-life and their associated risk of dementia
Communications Medicine
title Proteomics-based aging clocks in midlife or late-life and their associated risk of dementia
title_full Proteomics-based aging clocks in midlife or late-life and their associated risk of dementia
title_fullStr Proteomics-based aging clocks in midlife or late-life and their associated risk of dementia
title_full_unstemmed Proteomics-based aging clocks in midlife or late-life and their associated risk of dementia
title_short Proteomics-based aging clocks in midlife or late-life and their associated risk of dementia
title_sort proteomics based aging clocks in midlife or late life and their associated risk of dementia
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-025-01096-y
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