Cited by 624Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model OrganismsDementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchFrailty in Older Adults

Heterogeneous aging across multiple organ systems and prediction of chronic disease and mortality

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Tian, Ye Ella, Cropley, Vanessa, Maier, Andrea B., Lautenschlager, Nicola T., Breakspear, Michael, Zalesky, Andrew·2023·Nature Medicine

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Abstract

Biological aging of human organ systems reflects the interplay of age, chronic disease, lifestyle and genetic risk. Using longitudinal brain imaging and physiological phenotypes from the UK Biobank, we establish normative models of biological age for three brain and seven body systems. Here we find that an organ's biological age selectively influences the aging of other organ systems, revealing a multiorgan aging network. We report organ age profiles for 16 chronic diseases, where advanced biological aging extends from the organ of primary disease to multiple systems. Advanced body age associates with several lifestyle and environmental factors, leukocyte telomere lengths and mortality risk, and predicts survival time (area under the curve of 0.77) and premature death (area under the curve of 0.86). Our work reveals the multisystem nature of human aging in health and chronic disease. It may enable early identification of individuals at increased risk of aging-related morbidity and inform new strategies to potentially limit organ-specific aging in such individuals.

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  • A recent study using UK Biobank data revealed that cardiovascular age has the strongest influence on brain age, with a 1-year increase in the cardiovascular age increasing the brain biological age by 27 days.

    “A recent study established the biological age (BA) of multiple human organ systems using data from the UK Biobank and revealed that cardiovascular age has the strongest influence on brain age, with a 1-year increase in the cardiovascular age increasing the brain BA by 27 days.207”

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Austad, S.N. in Handbook of the Biology of Aging 7th edn (eds Masoro, E.J. & Austad, S.N.) Ch. 23 (Academic Press, 2011).
  2. Dembic, Z. in The Cytokines of the Immune System (ed. Dembic, Z.) Ch. 4, 99-122 (Academic Press, 2015).

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Authors
Tian, Y. E., Cropley, V., Maier, A. B., Lautenschlager, N. T., Breakspear, M., & Zalesky, A.
Affiliations
  • The University of Melbourne (AU)
  • National University of Singapore (SG)
  • The Royal Melbourne Hospital (AU)
  • University of Newcastle Australia (AU)
Corresponding author
  • Tian, Ye Ella
  • Zalesky, Andrew
Venue
Nature Medicine
Published
2023-04-06
Volume
29
Issue
5
Pages
1221-1231
ISSN
  • 1078-8956 (ISSN-L)
  • 1546-170X
OpenAlex
W4362674168
Cited by
618
References
106
Citations by year
2026: 174 · 2025: 224 · 2024: 180 · 2023: 39 · 2022: 1
FWCI
41.89
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Medicine (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • medRxiv (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion)
  • VU Research Portal (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • NOVA (University of Newcastle Australia) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Defense (U01 AG024904, W81XWH, W81XWH-12-2-, W81XWH1220012, AG024904)
  • Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (W81XWH-12-2-0012, U01AG024904, AG024904)
  • Alzheimer's Association (U01 AG024904, W81XWH-12-2-0012)
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb (U01 AG024904, AG024904, W81XWH-12-2-0012)
  • Eli Lilly and Company (U01 AG024904, AG024904, W81XWH-12-2-0012)
  • Pfizer (AG024904, W81XWH-12-2-0012, U01 AG024904)
  • Biogen (W81XWH-12-2-0012, U01 AG024904, AG024904)
  • University of Southern California (W81XWH-12-2-0012, U01 AG024904)
  • F. Hoffmann-La Roche (W81XWH-12-2-0012, AG024904, U01 AG024904)
  • Meso Scale Diagnostics (U01 AG024904, AG024904, W81XWH-12-2-0012)
  • Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
  • BioClinica (U01 AG024904, W81XWH-12-2-0012, AG024904)
  • Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (W81XWH-12-2-0012, U01 AG024904, AG024904)
  • Northern California Institute for Research and Education (U01 AG024904, W81XWH-12-2-0012)
  • University of Oxford
  • Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
  • Eisai (W81XWH-12-2-0012, U01 AG024904, AG024904)
  • Universitetet i Oslo
  • Servier (AG024904, W81XWH-12-2-0012, U01 AG024904)
  • H. Lundbeck A/S (U01 AG024904, AG024904, W81XWH-12-2-0012)
  • IXICO (AG024904, W81XWH-12-2-0012, U01 AG024904)
  • National Institutes of Health (3u01ag024904-10s2, W81XWH, W81XWH-12-2-0012, U01-AG024904, AG024904)
  • Genentech (W81XWH-12-2-0012, AG024904, U01 AG024904)
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research (U01 AG024904, W81XWH-12-2-0012)
  • Medical Research Council (U01 AG024904, MC_PC_17228)
  • National Health and Medical Research Council (1095227, 1142801, 2008612, APP118153, 1177370, 1152623)
  • National Institute on Aging (U01-AG-024904, W81XWH-12-2–0012, AG 024904)
  • National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (W81XWH-12-2-0012, U01 AG024904, AG024904)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Frailty in Older Adults
Keywords
biological aging, biological age prediction, chronic disease, mortality prediction, brain aging, telomere length, lifestyle factors, normative model, survival prediction, premature mortality
MeSH terms
Aging, Brain, Chronic Disease, Humans, Leukocytes, Risk Factors

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