Changes in DNA methylation-based aging predicts brain damage and dementia and reflects life-course cardiovascular risk.

Signs of accelerated aging in DNA predict brain shrinkage and dementia risk, offering a measurable target for intervention studies in midlife.

In 2,081 AGES-Reykjavik Study participants followed from midlife to late life, shifting to accelerated biological aging (DunedinPACE clock) was independently associated with lower brain volumes and incident dementia, while brain infarcts and cognitive decline primarily reflected cumulative cardiovascular exposures across the life-course.

What the study was

Study design

prospective_cohort

Category

aging_longevity

Maturity

clinical

Journal

Alzheimer's & Dementia

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