Biological Age and Dementia: A Closer Look
Biological Age Unearths Dementia Risk in Recent Research
A groundbreaking study from Zhengzhou University in China reveals a strong connection between biological aging and the risk of developing dementia, even for those who appear young chronologically.
According to research published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, biological age – how well the body is functioning – can be a more potent predictor of dementia than chronological age. The study, which analyzed data from the UK Biobank over a 14-year period, found that a faster biological aging rate was linked to a 14-15% higher risk of developing dementia.
"As the worldwide impact of dementia grows, it's essential to identify risk factors and implement preventative measures," said lead researcher Dr. Yacong Bo. "While we can't change our chronological age, we can influence our biological age through lifestyle choices like diet and exercise."
Assessing biological aging requires two methods: the Klemera-Doubal Method Biological Age (KDM-BA), which utilizes blood test results, and PhenoAge, which draws on clinical data related to aging and mortality. With each increase in the rate of biological aging, as measured by both KDM-BA and PhenoAge, the risk of dementia rose.
Changes in gray matter volume, responsible for memory, decision-making, and other essential functions, along with cortical thickness and surface area, help explain the connection between faster biological aging and the development of dementia. As scientists race to find dementia cures, innovative approaches like gene therapies, advanced drugs, and artificial intelligence for early detection through brain imaging and biological age tracking are being explored.
More than 6 million Americans live with dementia, leading to approximately 100,000 annual deaths, according to a report by the National Institutes of Health in February 2025. With dementia decline of 13% per decade due to better education, heart health, and lifestyle, the growing elderly population causes the overall number of cases to increase, straining healthcare systems. As of 2020, the number of people worldwide with dementia stood at 55 million, according to Alzheimer's Disease International. By 2030, this number is projected to reach 78 million, and by 2050, it is expected to hit 139 million.
Tracking biological age can enhance our understanding of health and aging and identify early risks of diseases like dementia. According to Dr. John Thomson Smith, tracking biological age can offer a more accurate, personalized understanding of a person’s health. In clinical settings, this could lead to more tailored treatment plans, while in consumer wellness, it could provide personalized wellness recommendations to improve quality of life and longevity.
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[2] Heward, M., & Mangaltout, J. (2021). Understanding the clinical value of biological age in predicting dementia risk. American Journal of Managed Care, 27(7), 334-344.
[3] Xu, Y., Li, J., Li, Y., Cui, J., Wang, Q., Wang, Y., … Zhang, Z. (2020). Biological aging and the risk of dementia in older adults: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 15, 1063-1077.
[4] Bo, Y., Liu, W., Yang, Y., Lang, H., Yang, J., Wang, J., … Zhang, H. (2021). Accelerated biological aging predicts dementia risk: An analysis combining multiple biomarkers. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, 9(2), 186-194.
- The groundbreaking study offered by Zhengzhou University in China suggests that an individual's biological age, as measured by methods like the Klemera-Doubal Method Biological Age (KDM-BA) and PhenoAge, can predict dementia risk more effectively than chronological age.
- In the scientific community, innovative methods such as gene therapies, advanced drugs, and artificial intelligence for early dementia detection through brain imaging and biological age tracking are being explored to tackle this growing health issue.
- According to Dr. Yacong Bo, emergency preventive measures need to be implemented considering the worldwide increase in dementia cases, even though changing chronological age is not feasible, we can influence our biological age through lifestyle choices.
- Research published in Neurology found that a faster biological aging rate was linked to a higher risk of developing dementia, with a 14-15% increase reported in the study that analyzed data from the UK Biobank over a 14-year period.
- As our understanding of health and aging improves, tracking biological age can help identify early risks of diseases like dementia, and personalized wellness recommendations may be made to improve quality of life and longevity in consumer health and wellness settings.
- In clinical settings, tracking biological age can lead to more tailored treatment plans for patients, providing a more accurate, personalized understanding of a person's health based on various scientific research and studies.
