Each standard deviation increase in KDM biological age acceleration was associated with a higher risk of incident stroke (HR 1.28; 95% CI 1.25-1.32), especially in those with high genetic risk.
Cohort (n=253,932)
Does biological age acceleration increase the risk of incident stroke and its subtypes in the general population?
Biological age acceleration is associated with an increased risk of incident stroke, particularly in individuals with high genetic risk, though healthy behaviors may mitigate this risk.
Effect estimate: HR 1.28 (95% CI 1.25-1.32)
Stroke risk increases with chronological age, but the relationship with biological age (BA) acceleration is poorly understood. We aimed to examine the association between BA acceleration and incident stroke and its subtypes, explore the modifying effects on genetic susceptibility, and assess how BA acceleration mediates the effect of behavior score. We studied 253,932 UK Biobank participants and computed two BA measures (Klemera-Doubal Method KDM, Phenotypic Age PhenoAge), with BA acceleration calculated by regressing BA on chronological age. The polygenic risk score (PRS) was derived from 87 genetic loci. The behaviors score was based on diet, physical activity, tobacco/nicotine, sleep, and BMI. During a median follow-up of 13.6 years, 5460 strokes, 4337 ischemic stroke (IS), 951 intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and 553 subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) cases were documented. Adjusting for confounding factors, each standard deviation increase in BA acceleration was associated with higher stroke risk: for KDM-BA acceleration, stroke (HR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.25-1.32), IS (1.32, 1.28-1.36), ICH (1.15, 1.08-1.23), and SAH (1.16, 1.07-1.27); for PhenoAge acceleration, stroke (1.22, 1.19-1.25), IS (1.26, 1.22-1.29), ICH (1.08, 1.02-1.16), and SAH (1.08, 1.00-1.18). Compared to participants with the lowest PRS and BA acceleration, those with the highest PRS and BA acceleration had the highest stroke risk (KDM-BA acceleration: 2.19, 1.85-2.59; PhenoAge acceleration: 2.03, 1.69-2.42). Additionally, there was an additive interaction between KDM-BA acceleration and PRS. The mediation proportion of BA acceleration in associations of behaviors score with incident stroke and its subtypes ranged from 15.84% to 33.08%. BA acceleration may raise stroke risk, especially in those with high genetic risk. Maintaining healthy behaviors may help mitigate this risk.
Zhang et al. (Wed,) conducted a cohort in Stroke (n=253,932). Biological age acceleration vs. Lower biological age acceleration was evaluated on Incident stroke (HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.25-1.32). Each standard deviation increase in KDM biological age acceleration was associated with a higher risk of incident stroke (HR 1.28; 95% CI 1.25-1.32), especially in those with high genetic risk.