Key result
Adding Grim2AA-adjusted age to PREVENT-CVD equations fails to improve cardiovascular risk discrimination over chronological age.
Why the study?
Does incorporating Grim2AA-adjusted age into PREVENT base equations improve 10-year risk discrimination, calibration, and reclassification for cardiovascular events in adults free of baseline CVD?
Cohort (n=2,432)
Yes
Does incorporating Grim2AA-adjusted age into PREVENT base equations improve 10-year risk discrimination, calibration, and reclassification for cardiovascular events in adults free of baseline CVD?
Incorporating the epigenetic age measure Grim2AA into the PREVENT equations does not improve cardiovascular disease risk estimation compared to using chronological age alone.
Introduction: The PREVENT (Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Events) equations estimate 10-year absolute risks for atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD), heart failure (HF), and CVD (ASCVD + HF). Of PREVENT inputs, chronological age explains most of the variance in risk estimates. Grim Age acceleration (Grim2AA) is an epigenetic age measure that predicts morbidity and mortality; however, whether it contributes to risk prediction is not known. Hypothesis: Incorporating Grim2AA-adjusted age into PREVENT base equations improves 10-year risk discrimination, calibration, and reclassification. Methods: We analyzed data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, a prospective, multicenter U.S. cohort. We included participants free of CVD with available clinical and Grim2AA measures in midlife (year 20 visit). Grim2AA-adjusted age (Grim2AA + chronological age) replaced chronological age in PREVENT-CVD, PREVENT-ASCVD, and PREVENT-HF base models. Model performance was assessed using C-statistics and calibration, comparing Grim2AA-adjusted age–based vs. original models. We assessed reclassification using the Partial Likelihood Ratio Test. Results: Among the 2,432 participants included, 42.3% were men and 43.4% were Black, with a mean chronological age of 45.2 ± 3.6 years and a mean Grim2AA of 0.13 ± 5.14 years. During a median follow-up of 17.8 (interquartile range 16.9–18.0) years, 147 ASCVD, 173 CVD, and 42 HF events occurred. In univariate models, predicted risk with original and Grim2AA-adjusted PREVENT measures were each significantly associated with CVD outcomes. Each 1-SD Grim2AA-adjusted PREVENT was associated with ASCVD (1.53 [1.43–1.64]), CVD (1.50 [1.42–1.58]), and HF (1.34 [1.26–1.43]) events. There was no difference in overall predictive utility when Grim2AA-adjusted age was integrated in place of chronological age (C-statistic 0.76 [0.72–0.83] vs 0.76 [0.71–0.82]; Δ<0.01; Figure 1) for PREVENT-CVD. Findings were similar for PREVENT-ASCVD and PREVENT-HF models, with no improvement in calibration or reclassification. Results were similar among the subset of participants with Grim2AA ≥ 2 years. Conclusions: Grim2AA does not improve CVD risk estimation of the PREVENT equations. Further research is needed to determine whether other biological age measures can enhance CVD risk assessment.
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Boztepe et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in Cardiovascular disease risk prediction (n=2,432). Grim2AA-adjusted age in PREVENT base equations vs. Original PREVENT base equations (chronological age) was evaluated on PREVENT-CVD risk discrimination (C-statistic) (Δ<0.01). Integrating Grim2AA-adjusted age into the PREVENT-CVD equations did not improve risk discrimination compared to chronological age (C-statistic 0.76 vs 0.76; Δ<0.01).
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