Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41469193›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry2026

Epigenetic ageing and the risk of Parkinson's disease.

Xiaojing Peng, Mario H Flores-Torres, Marianna Cortese, Cheng Peng, Albert Y Hung, Michael Schwarzschild, Alberto Ascherio, Kjetil Bjornevik

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

8 authors.

Xiaojing PengDepartment of Epidemiology, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA xpeng@hsph.harvard.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0441-6268
Mario H Flores-TorresDepartment of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Marianna CorteseDepartment of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Cheng PengChanning Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Albert Y HungDepartment of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Michael SchwarzschildDepartment of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Alberto AscherioDepartment of Epidemiology, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Kjetil BjornevikDepartment of Epidemiology, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Funding

Long Term Multidisciplinary Study of Cancer in Women: The Nurses Health StudyUM1CA186107 · NCI · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI ELIASSEN, A. HEATHER, STAMPFER, MEIR · 2014 to 2023
$22.3M
BIOCHEMICAL MARKERS IN THE NURSES'HEALTH STUDY COHORTR01CA049449 · NCI · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI HANKINSON, SUSAN E · 1989 to 2008
$11.3M
Living beyond cancer: the short- and long-term cognitive effects of breast cancer and its treatment for cancer survivorsK01AG080030 · NIA · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI Cheng Peng · 2023 to 2026
$524k
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA049449NCI NIH HHS UM1 CA186107NIA NIH HHS K01 AG080030
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEstimators of biological age, such as epigenetic clocks, are promising biomarkers for neurological disorders where the risk significantly increases with age, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). The purpose of this study was to prospectively investigate whether epigenetic age acceleration can predict PD risk, age at PD onset and time to phenoconversion.

methodsWe conducted a prospective, nested case-control study within the Nurses' Health Study, including participants who provided two blood samples before being diagnosed with PD. DNA methylation profiles were obtained from 75 individuals who developed PD, 79 individuals who developed prodromal features suggestive of PD and 154 age-matched controls. We estimated epigenetic age acceleration using six different epigenetic clocks (Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, GrimAge, DunedinPACE and the cortical epigenetic clock) and assessed their associations with PD risk, age at PD onset and time to PD onset.

resultsEpigenetic age acceleration was not consistently associated with a higher PD risk, using estimates of biological ageing neither in the first sample (collected a median of 19 years before PD onset) nor in the second sample (collected a median of 8 years before PD onset). These results remained similar in multivariable models adjusted for smoking status, physical activity, body mass index, caffeine intake, alcohol intake and Mediterranean diet score. Furthermore, epigenetic age acceleration was not associated with earlier age at PD onset or time to PD phenoconversion.

conclusionsIn our study, epigenetic clock-based biomarkers do not reliably predict PD risk, age at PD onset or time to PD phenoconversion.

Indexed as

AgingEpigenesis, GeneticParkinson DiseaseAdultAgedAge of OnsetCase-Control StudiesDNA MethylationFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRisk FactorsEPIDEMIOLOGYPARKINSON'S DISEASE

Identifiers

PMID41469193
PMCPMC12915515

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Registered trials

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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.