| Title: | Metabolic syndrome is associated with accelerated brain aging |
| Journal: | Alzheimer's & Dementia |
| Published: | 14 Jul 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42445959/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71563 |
Publication 20277
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with increased dementia risk, but its relationship with brain aging is unclear.</p>
METHODS: The study included 27,375 UK Biobank participants aged 40 to 70 years. MetS was defined as having at least three of five components: central adiposity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperglycemia. Levels of 33 plasma metabolites were measured from baseline blood samples. Brain age was estimated using a machine learning model based on 1079 phenotypes from brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and used to calculate brain age gap (BAG, i.e., brain age minus chronological age).</p>
RESULTS: Participants with MetS had significantly higher BAG compared to MetS-free individuals (β = 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.99 to 1.27). Each individual MetS component was also associated with higher BAG. Eight metabolites significantly mediated the MetS-BAG association (mediation proportion: 2.6% to 16.5%), including apolipoproteins, fatty acids, and inflammatory markers.</p>
DISCUSSION: MetS is associated with accelerated brain aging, partly mediated by inflammation and altered lipid metabolism.</p>
12 Keywords
- Adult
- Aged
- Aging
- Biomarkers
- Brain
- Female
- Humans
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Male
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Middle Aged
- UK Biobank
8 Authors
- Abigail Dove
- Jiao Wang
- Rongrong Yang
- Sakura Sakakibara
- Zoe Arvanitakis
- Andrea L. C. Schneider
- Rebecca F. Gottesman
- Weili Xu
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 67048 | THE BODY-MIND CONNECTION: EXPLORING THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE EFFECTS OF SOMATIC HEALTH ON BRAIN AGING |
Enabling scientific discoveries that improve human health