Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31630156›Full record

ArticleThe journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences2020

DNA Methylation Age and Physical and Cognitive Aging.

Jane Maddock, Juan Castillo-Fernandez, Andrew Wong, Rachel Cooper, Marcus Richards, Ken K Ong, George B Ploubidis, Alissa Goodman, Diana Kuh, Jordana T Bell and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 77 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
77citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

77 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Exploring epigenetic aging and cognitive change in middle adulthood.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2026
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  7. Functional, molecular, and digital measurements of biological age.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2026
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Epigenetic clocks and longitudinal plasma biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025
    Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

17 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Jane MaddockMRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, UK.
Juan Castillo-FernandezDepartment of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, UK.
Andrew WongMRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, UK.
Rachel CooperMusculoskeletal Science and Sports Medicine Research Centre, Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.
Marcus RichardsMRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, UK.
Ken K OngMRC Epidemiology Unit and Department of Paediatrics, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, UK.
George B PloubidisCentre for Longitudinal Studies, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, UK.
Alissa GoodmanCentre for Longitudinal Studies, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, UK.
Diana KuhMRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, UK.
Jordana T BellDepartment of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, UK.
Rebecca HardyMRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, UK.

Funding

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council ES/N000404/1Department of HealthMedical Research Council G1001799Medical Research Council MC_U123092720Medical Research Council MC_UU_00006/2Medical Research Council MC_UU_00019/1Medical Research Council MC_UU_12015/2Medical Research Council MC_UU_12019/1Medical Research Council MC_UU_12019/2Medical Research Council MC_UU_12019/4Medical Research Council MR/N01104X/2Medical Research Council MR/P023444/1Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDNA methylation (DNAm) age acceleration (AgeAccel) has been shown to be predictive of all-cause mortality but it is unclear what functional aspect(s) of aging it captures. We examine associations between four measures of AgeAccel in adults aged 45-87 years and physical and cognitive performance and their age-related decline.

methodsAgeAccelHannum, AgeAccelHorvath, AgeAccelPheno, and AgeAccelGrim were calculated in the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD), National Child Development Study (NCDS) and TwinsUK. Three measures of physical (grip strength, chair rise speed, and forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV1]) and two measures of cognitive (episodic memory and mental speed) performance were assessed.

resultsAgeAccelPheno and AgeAccelGrim, but not AgeAccelHannum and AgeAccelHorvath were related to performance in random effects meta-analyses (n = 1,388-1,685). For example, a 1-year increase in AgeAccelPheno or AgeAccelGrim was associated with a 0.01 mL (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01, 0.02) or 0.03 mL (95% CI: 0.01, 0.05) lower mean FEV1 respectively. In NSHD, AgeAccelPheno and AgeAccelGrim at 53 years were associated with age-related decline in performance between 53 and 69 years as tested by linear mixed models (p < .05). In a subset of NSHD participants (n = 482), there was little evidence that change in any AgeAccel measure was associated with change in performance conditional on baseline performance.

conclusionsWe found little evidence to support associations between the first generation of DNAm-based biomarkers of aging and age-related physical or cognitive performance in midlife to early old age. However, there was evidence that the second generation biomarkers, AgeAccelPheno and AgeAccelGrim, could act as makers of an individual's healthspan as proposed.

Indexed as

DNA MethylationAgedAged, 80 and overAgingCognitive AgingFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedCognitive agingFunctional performanceNormative agingPhysical performance

Identifiers

PMID31630156
PMCPMC8414926

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.