Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27075770›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of epidemiology2018

The epigenetic clock and telomere length are independently associated with chronological age and mortality.

Riccardo E Marioni, Sarah E Harris, Sonia Shah, Allan F McRae, Thomas von Zglinicki, Carmen Martin-Ruiz, Naomi R Wray, Peter M Visscher, Ian J Deary

Erratum issuedOpen access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of epidemiology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 142 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
142citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
23.2field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

142 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 300 citations in OpenAlex.

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  13. Epigenetic age and telomere length correlations in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis.Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England) · 2025
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82 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.

Riccardo E MarioniQueensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK Medical Genetics Section, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK riccardo.marioni@ed.ac.uk.
Sarah E HarrisCentre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK Medical Genetics Section, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Sonia ShahQueensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Allan F McRaeQueensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Thomas von ZglinickiInstitute for Cell & Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, UK.
Carmen Martin-RuizInstitute of Neurosciences, NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre & Unit, Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, UK.
Naomi R WrayQueensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Peter M VisscherQueensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Ian J DearyDepartment of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
University of Queensland · AUUniversity of Edinburgh · GBMRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine · GBNewcastle University · GBNIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre · GBTranslational Research Institute · AU

Funding

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BB/F019394/1Medical Research Council G0500997Medical Research Council G0601333Medical Research Council MR/J50001X/1Medical Research Council MR/K026992/1Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTelomere length and DNA methylation have been proposed as biological clock measures that track chronological age. Whether they change in tandem, or contribute independently to the prediction of chronological age, is not known.

methodsWe address these points using data from two Scottish cohorts: the Lothian Birth Cohorts of 1921 (LBC1921) and 1936 (LBC1936). Telomere length and epigenetic clock estimates from DNA methylation were measured in 920 LBC1936 participants (ages 70, 73 and 76 years) and in 414 LBC1921 participants (ages 79, 87 and 90 years).

resultsThe epigenetic clock changed over time at roughly the same rate as chronological age in both cohorts. Telomere length decreased at 48-67 base pairs per year on average. Weak, non-significant correlations were found between epigenetic clock estimates and telomere length. Telomere length explained 6.6% of the variance in age in LBC1921, the epigenetic clock explained 10.0%, and combined they explained 17.3% (allP< 1 × 10

conclusionsThese results suggest that telomere length and epigenetic clock estimates are independent predictors of chronological age and mortality risk.

Indexed as

ageingEpigenetic clocklongitudinalmortalitytelomeres

Identifiers

PMID27075770
PMCPMC4864882
OpenAlexW2336855366

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.