Observational studyClinical epigenetics2016
Frailty is associated with the epigenetic clock but not with telomere length in a German cohort.
Observational study in Clinical epigenetics, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 177 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
177 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Association between telomere length, frailty and death in older adults.GeroScience · 2021Pooled it
- A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Environmental, Lifestyle, and Health Factors Associated With DNA Methylation Age.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2020Pooled it
- The epigenetic clock as a predictor of disease and mortality risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical epigenetics · 2019Pooled it
- The impact of frailty on intensive care unit outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Intensive care medicine · 2017Pooled it
- Epigenome-wide Analysis Identifies Genes and Pathways Linked to Neurobehavioral Variation in Preterm Infants.Scientific reports · 2019Trial
- Effects of Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Epigenetic Aging in Overweight and Obese African Americans With Suboptimal Vitamin D Status: A Randomized Clinical Trial.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2019Trial
- Change in the Rate of Biological Aging in Response to Caloric Restriction: CALERIE Biobank Analysis.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2017Trial
- DNA methylome analysis identifies accelerated epigenetic ageing associated with postmenopausal breast cancer susceptibility.European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990) · 2017Trial
- DNA methylation-estimated phenotypes, telomere length, aging and risk of intracranial aneurysms: Evidence from genetic studies.IBRO neuroscience reports · 2026Article
- Aging Biology of Bone-to-Tendon Healing and the Epigenetic Clock: A Biological-Age Readout of Rotator Cuff Healing Capacity.Biomedicines · 2026Review
- The role of epigenetic age acceleration and social disadvantage in cardiometabolic health in southeast Louisiana women.Clinical epigenetics · 2026Article
- Using kidney transplantation to explore epigenetic markers of frailty.GeroScience · 2026Article
- Exercise training to preserve vitality capacity in ageing.Experimental physiology · 2026Review
- Hypertension and epigenetic aging: socio-biological pathways of health disparity.Clinical epigenetics · 2026Article
- Lifestyle factors and DNA methylation-based aging clocks: cross-sectional and longitudinal associations in the Singapore diet and healthy aging cohort.The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease · 2026Article
- How epigenetic clocks tick: Unpacking the black box by deciphering biological pathways and transcriptomic signatures of accelerated aging.Research square · 2026Article
- Associations of Epigenetic Age Acceleration with Motor Impairment: Evidence from the PPMI Cohort.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2025Article
- Intergenerational approach of community dance program for older adults in singapore: a feasibility cluster-controlled trial.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Frailty in lung transplant recipients is associated with anemia and telomere dysfunction but independent of epigenetic age.American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons · 2025Article
117 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe epigenetic clock, in particular epigenetic pre-aging quantified by the so-called DNA methylation age acceleration, has recently been suggested to closely correlate with a variety of disease phenotypes. There remains a dearth of data, however, on its association with telomere length and frailty, which can be considered major correlates of age on the genomic and clinical level, respectively.
resultsIn this cross-sectional observational study on altogether 1820 subjects from two subsets (n = 969 and n = 851; mean ± standard deviation age 62.1 ± 6.5 and 63.0 ± 6.7 years, respectively) of the ESTHER cohort study of the elderly general population in Germany, DNA methylation age was calculated based on a 353 loci predictor previously developed in a large meta-study, and the difference-based epigenetic age acceleration was calculated as predicted methylation age minus chronological age. No correlation of epigenetic age acceleration with telomere length was found in our study (p = 0.63). However, there was an association of DNA methylation age acceleration with a comprehensive frailty measure, such that the accumulated deficits significantly increased with increasing age acceleration. Quantitatively, about half an additional deficit was added per 6 years of methylation age acceleration (p = 0.0004). This association was independent from age, sex, and estimated leukocyte distribution, as well as from a variety of other confounding variables considered.
conclusionsThe results of the present study suggest that epigenetic age acceleration is correlated with clinically relevant aging-related phenotypes through pathways unrelated to cellular senescence as assessed by telomere length. Innovative approaches like Mendelian randomization will be needed to elucidate whether epigenetic age acceleration indeed plays a causal role for the development of clinical phenotypes.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.