Associations of proteomic age clocks with lifestyle risk factors, incident chronic diseases and mortality in two European cohorts
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Assessment of biological aging using proteomic clocks may enhance risk prediction and elucidate the molecular links between aging and chronic diseases. Here, among 17,473 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, we examined associations of plasma SomaScan-based proteomic clocks, including organ-specific clocks, with risk factors, 24 incident chronic diseases and all-cause mortality, over up to 28 years of follow-up. Replication was conducted in the Whitehall II study. We show that the global age gap, an age acceleration score combining proteomic clocks, was associated with smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and higher risk of mortality, cardiovascular diseases, dementia and cancers of the liver, upper aero-digestive tract, lung and kidney. Lung, kidney and stomach cancers were more strongly associated with related organ-specific age gaps. Predictive performance of proteomic clocks for mortality was comparable to that of classical lifestyle risk factors. In summary, proteomic clocks appear promising biomarkers of generalized age-related disease risk.
Source: Nature Aging
Authors: Oliver Robinson, Han Xiao, Jan Homann, Vivian Viallon, Pietro Ferrari, Philipp Frank, José M. Huerta, Ana Jiménez Zabala, Rudolf Kaaks, Verena A. Katzke, Mika Kivimaki, Claudia Langenberg, Chung-Ho E. Lau, Lefkos Middleton, N. Charlotte Onland-Moret, Salvatore Panico, Anna Prizment, Fulvio Ricceri, María-José Sánchez, Karl Smith-Byrne, W. M. Monique Verschuren, Roel Vermeulen, Paolo Vineis, Shuo Wang, Nick Wareham, Christina M. Lill, Elio Riboli, Marc J. Gunter
Institutions: UK Dementia Research Institute, Imperial College London, University of Münster, Centre international de recherche sur le cancer, University College London, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Basque Government, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, German Cancer Research Center, University of Helsinki, Queen Mary University of London, University of Cambridge, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, MRC Epidemiology Unit, Utrecht University, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Naples Federico II, University of Minnesota, University of Turin, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Granada, Andalusian School of Public Health, University of Oxford, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment
Language: English
Subfield: Aging
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $12,690
Funders: Compagnia di San Paolo, Cure Alzheimer's Fund, UK Research and Innovation, Cancer Research UK, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Imperial College London, European Commission, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, ZonMw, Ministero della Salute, Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Medical Research Council, World Cancer Research Fund, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, National Cancer Institute, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Awards: Aetiology of type 2 diabetes and related metabolic disorders, G1136667113, G1866718239, G205021445, G2581098307, G2714613917, G30665515, G3174604425, G3406693879, G3523705848, G3543523425, G3559681879, G3647843846, G367618303, Metabolomic and omic assessment of biological ageing across the life-course (METAGE), G4211387915, G4312706443, G4409035895, G4844208673, G4881195352, The EPIC-Norfolk prospective population study: biological and behavioural determinants of health and disease in an ageing population, G5116888081, G527520901, G5315906942, G5469230434, G574262416, G6132700753, G6145528938, G6545237157, G6883270616, G6896564351, G7112453972, EPIC-Oxford: benefits and risks of plant-based diets, G7604397084, G8020903098, Metabolomic and omic assessment of biological ageing across the life-course (METAGE), G831050355, G8695357079, G8914830642, G899966268
OpenAlex ID: W7166567176