Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41975027›Full record

SynthesisGeroScience2026

The aging epigenome: integrative analyses reveal intersection with Alzheimer's disease.

Wei Zhang, David Lukacsovich, Juan I Young, Lissette Gomez, Michael A Schmidt, Brian W Kunkle, Xi Chen, Eden R Martin, Lily Wang, Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in GeroScience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Wei ZhangDivision of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.
David LukacsovichDivision of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.
Juan I YoungDr. John T Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.
Lissette GomezJohn P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.
Michael A SchmidtDr. John T Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.
Brian W KunkleDr. John T Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.
Xi ChenDivision of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.
Eden R MartinDr. John T Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.
Lily WangDivision of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA. lily.wangg@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8311-4251
Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

Funding

Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative - SupplementU01AG024904 · NIA · NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE RES &EDUC · PI WEINER, MICHAEL W · 2004 to 2015
$121.0M
Integrative Genomic Approaches for Understanding Sex Differences in Alzheimer's DiseaseR01AG062634 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI KUNKLE, BRIAN WILLIAM, MARTIN, EDEN R. · 2019 to 2023
$3.8M
New computational tools for understanding and predicting AD via age-associated DNA methylation changesRF1NS128145 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI WANG, LILY · 2022 to 2022
$2.0M
New DNA methylation biomarkers for predicting AD and cognitive declineR61NS135587 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI WANG, LILY · 2024 to 2025
$1.5M
New computational tools for understanding and predicting AD via age-associated DNA methylation changesR01NS128145 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI Lily Wang · 2025 to 2026
$1.1M
NIA NIH HHS R01 AG062634NIA NIH HHS R01AG062634NIA NIH HHS U01 AG024904NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS128145NINDS NIH HHS R01NS128145NINDS NIH HHS R61 NS135587NINDS NIH HHS R61NS135587NINDS NIH HHS RF1 NS128145
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Aging is the strongest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet the role of age-associated DNA methylation (DNAm) changes in blood and their relevance to AD remains poorly understood. We performed a meta-analysis of blood DNAm samples from 475 dementia-free subjects aged over 65 years across two independent cohorts, the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) at Exam 9 and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). We adjusted for sex and immune cell-type proportions and corrected batch effects and genomic inflation. Integrative analyses included pathway enrichment, mQTL analysis, colocalization with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) GWAS summary statistics, brain-blood DNAm correlations, and comparison to independent AD methylation studies. We identified 3758 CpGs and 556 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) consistently associated with chronological age in both cohorts at a 5% false discovery rate. Our pathway enrichment analyses highlighted metabolic regulation and synaptic signaling, processes previously implicated in Alzheimer's disease. Colocalization with ADRD GWAS summary statistics identified 32 genomic regions consistent with shared genetic signals for DNAm and ADRD risk. Roughly one-third of aging-associated CpGs overlapped CpGs associated with AD or AD neuropathology in external studies. Finally, we prioritized nine promoter CpGs (including those located in PDE1B, ELOVL2, and PODXL2) showing strong positive blood-to-brain methylation concordance and external AD associations, nominating them as candidate blood-based biomarkers. Our study demonstrated that late-life aging signatures in blood DNAm converge on processes implicated in AD and intersect with dementia genetics. A small set of CpGs with blood-brain concordance and external AD support offers promising candidate blood-based biomarkers for future validation.

Indexed as

AgingAlzheimer DiseaseDNA MethylationEpigenomeAgedAged, 80 and overEpigenesis, GeneticFemaleGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansMaleAgingAlzheimer’s diseaseDNA methylationEpigenetics

Identifiers

PMID41975027
PMCPMC13356189

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.