(Press-News.org) MINNEAPOLIS — People whose biological age is higher than their chronological age may be more likely to develop dementia than people whose biological age matches or is lower than their chronological age, according to a study published on April 30, 2025, online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Biological age is based on biomarkers of aging such as lung function, blood pressure and cholesterol.
The study does not prove that advanced biological age causes dementia; it only shows an association.
“With the rising impact of dementia around the world, identifying risk factors and implementing preventive measures is essential,” said study author Yacong Bo, PhD, of Zhengzhou University in China. “While none of us can change our chronological age, we can influence our biological age through lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise.”
The study involved 280,918 participants in a United Kingdom database who were an average chronological age of 57 at the start of the study and did not have dementia at that time. They were followed for an average of 14 years. During that time, 4,770 people developed dementia.
The researchers used two methods to measure biological age. In addition to lung function, blood pressure and cholesterol, the methods measured other biomarkers in the blood, such as average cell volume and white blood cell count. These methods show how different parts of the body, like metabolism, immunity, liver, kidneys, heart and other systems, work together as we age.
While the people who later developed dementia had an average chronological age of 65 at the start of the study compared to 57 for those who stayed free of dementia, their average biological age was 55 by one of the methods, compared to 45 for those with no dementia.
When dividing the participants into four groups based on biological age, researchers found that those with the most advanced biological age were about 30% more likely to develop dementia than those in the lowest group. These results adjusted for other factors that could affect the risk of dementia, such as age, education level and smoking status.
The researchers also found that people with advanced biological age also had changes in their brain that are associated with dementia, such as loss of gray matter volume.
“These brain structure changes explain some, but not all, of the association between advanced biological age and dementia,” Bo said. “These results support the hypothesis that advanced biological age may contribute to the development of dementia by causing a widespread change in brain structures.”
A limitation of the study was that participants in the database tend to be more health conscious than the general population, so they may be less likely to develop dementia.
The study was supported by Henan Province and Zhengzhou city governments in China.
Discover more about dementia at BrainandLife.org, from the American Academy of Neurology. This resource also offers a magazine, podcast, and books that connect patients, caregivers and anyone interested in brain health with the most trusted information, straight from the world’s leading experts in brain health. Follow Brain & Life® on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
The American Academy of Neurology is the leading voice in brain health. As the world’s largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals with more than 40,000 members, the AAN provides access to the latest news, science and research affecting neurology for patients, caregivers, physicians and professionals alike. The AAN’s mission is to enhance member career fulfillment and promote brain health for all. A neurologist is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, care and treatment of brain, spinal cord and nervous system diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, concussion, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, headache and migraine.
Explore the latest in neurological disease and brain health, from the minds at the AAN at AAN.com or find us on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
END
Does your biological age affect your risk of dementia?
2025-04-30
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Research collaboration charts global four-stage evolution of inflammatory bowel disease
2025-04-30
Researchers with the University of Calgary and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) led an international collaboration that found inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) progresses through four predictable epidemiological stages as it spreads globally. Published in Nature, the study forecasts a major rise in IBD prevalence in Canada by 2045. Researchers say pinpointing where each region sits on the trajectory gives health-care systems a clear roadmap for anticipating and managing IBD today and in the decades to follow.
“Our analysis draws on a century worth of historical epidemiologic data. The findings enable health authorities ...
Ecological Society of America announces 2025 Fellows
2025-04-30
The Ecological Society of America is pleased to announce its 2025 Fellows. The Society’s fellowship program recognizes the many ways in which its members contribute to ecological research, communication, education, management and policy. This year, the ESA Governing Board has confirmed eight new Fellows and ten new Early Career Fellows.
Fellows are members who have made outstanding contributions to a wide range of fields served by ESA, including, but not restricted to, those that advance or apply ecological knowledge in academics, ...
Critically endangered axolotls bred in captivity appear able to survive release into both artificial and restored Mexican wetlands, but may need specific temperatures to thrive
2025-04-30
Critically endangered axolotls bred in captivity appear able to survive release into both artificial and restored Mexican wetlands, but may need specific temperatures to thrive
Article URL: https://plos.io/3RSL1bu
Article title: Movement ecology of captive-bred axolotls in restored and artificial wetlands: Conservation insights for amphibian reintroductions and translocations
Author countries: Mexico
Funding: This project was funded by UNAM PAPIIT No. 705 IV200117 and IV210117 Programa de Apoyo a Proyectos de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica (PAPIIT-IV200117) ...
Tunnel vision during planning can lead us to neglect negative consequences, but this cognitive bias can be addressed by simply prompting people to explicitly consider them
2025-04-30
Tunnel vision during planning can lead us to neglect negative consequences, but this cognitive bias can be addressed by simply prompting people to explicitly consider them
Article URL: https://plos.io/42yZBtL
Article title: Side effects may include: Consequence neglect in generating solutions
Author countries: U.S.
Funding: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work. END ...
2.1 kids per woman might not be enough for population survival
2025-04-30
Human populations need at least 2.7 children per woman – a much higher fertility rate than previously believed – to reliably avoid long-term extinction, according to a new study published April 30, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Takuya Okabe of Shizuoka University, Japan, and colleagues.
While a fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman is often considered the replacement level needed to sustain a population, this figure doesn’t account for random differences in how many children people have – as well as mortality ...
New “hidden in plain sight” facial and eye biomarkers for tinnitus severity could unlock path to testing treatments
2025-04-30
Researchers at Mass General Brigham have identified new biomarkers for tinnitus by measuring pupil dilation and subtle facial movements that correlate with the level of distress caused by the disorder. Published in Science Translational Medicine, the findings could lead to placebo-controlled treatment studies that have largely been not feasible due to lack of objective measures.
“Imagine if cancer severity were determined by giving patients a questionnaire – this is the state of affairs for some common neurological disorders like tinnitus,” said corresponding author Daniel Polley, ...
“Explainable” AI cracks secret language of sticky proteins
2025-04-30
An AI tool has made a step forward in translating the language proteins use to dictate whether they form sticky clumps similar to those linked to Alzheimer’s Disease and around fifty other types of human disease. In a departure from typical “black-box” AI models, the new tool, CANYA, was designed to be able to explain its decisions, revealing the specific chemical patterns that drive or prevent harmful protein folding.
The discovery, published today in the journal Science Advances, was possible thanks to the largest-ever dataset on protein aggregation created to date. The study gives new insights about the molecular mechanisms underpinning sticky proteins, which are ...
Setting, acute reaction and mental health history shape ayahuasca's longer-term psychological effects
2025-04-30
Mounting evidence supports ayahuasca’s potential to improve mental health, but its long-term effects are shaped by both individual mental health history and the context in which the psychedelic is used, according to a study published on April 30, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS Mental Health by Óscar Andión from Research Sherpas, Spain; José Carlos Bouso from the International Centre for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Services (ICEERS) and the University of Rovira i Virgili, Spain; Daniel Perkins from the University of Melbourne and Swinburne University; and colleagues.
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic medicine traditionally ...
National-Level Actions Effective at Tackling Antibiotic Resistance
2025-04-30
National-level policies can reduce the impact of antibiotic resistance across diverse countries, according to a study published April 30, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health by Peter Søgaard Jørgensen from Stockholm University and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Sweden, and colleagues.
Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern, contributing to 1.27 million deaths per year. In 2016, countries around the world committed to developing and implementing national action plans to combat antibiotic resistance. These plans have been criticized ...
Machine learning brings new insights to cell’s role in addiction, relapse
2025-04-30
Object recognition software is used by law enforcement to help identify suspects, by self-driving cars to navigate roadways and by many consumers to unlock their cell phones or pay for their morning coffee.
Now, researchers led by the University of Cincinnati’s Anna Kruyer and the University of Houston’s Demetrio Labate have applied object recognition technology to track changes in brain cell structure and provide new insights into how the brain responds to heroin use, withdrawal and relapse. The research was published April 30 in the journal Science Advances.
Study ...