Written by: Vanessa Niu
Edited by: Ryan Lee
Edited by: Ryan Lee
Age, as most are familiar with, is a numerical value utilized to represent the number of years a person has been in existence. However, this quantitative chronological age differs from biological age which can vary for different organs and tissues within the body. Aging of organ systems can also have the potential of influencing additional aging of other organs, promoting the progression of certain diseases or age-related complications; the process of aging can be affected by a multitude of environmental and biological factors. This network is being investigated by researchers with the possibility of predicting chronic diseases, reducing organ-related health issues, and elevating lifestyles.
Chronic diseases are influenced significantly by the age of organs. A recent study regarding chronic kidney disease (CKD) found that it has the capacity to accelerate the aging of other organs such as the heart and the brain. Researchers utilized data from over 100,000 healthy individuals including phenotypes and multimodal imaging of the brain; this was collected in relation to the three brain systems including gray matter, brain connectivity, and white matter and the seven body systems including pulmonary, musculoskeletal, renal, cardiovascular, metabolic, immune, and hepatic systems (Tian et al. 2023). Machine learning algorithms were trained to comprehend heterogeneous aging and while the body and brain system’s chronological age were predicted rather accurately, age gaps that were unique to the organ were manifested; this occurred due to discrepancies between a certain organ system’s age and the predicted chronological age. These organ age gaps subtracted the chronological age from the predicted chronological age and were determined to be representative of organ systems’ biological age and overall health. If the organ system was perceived to be older compared to the standard for a subject’s chronological sex and age, then the age gap was greater than zero; if it appeared younger, then the age gap was negative (Tian et al. 2023). Researchers determined 101 organ-specific phenotypes and 78 body phenotypes through biochemical assays and physiological exams such as blood tests and blood pressure measurements. Studies identifying the impact of organ diseases on other organs highlight the significance of kidney aging in CKD since kidneys play a crucial role in homeostasis through filtration of water and electrolytes and excretion of toxins produced from metabolic processes within the human body. Aging of cardiovascular and pulmonary systems related to chronic kidney disease have shown elevated morbidity and mortality risk (Benzing and Schumacher 2023). Early onset kidney aging was negatively associated with tobacco use, walking pace, and hypertension. These data promote changes in lifestyle that enhance health and hinder aging of the kidneys as a method to prevent additional health complications later in life such as heart disease or dementia. Chronic diseases such as chronic kidney disease can affect the aging of other organ systems and lead to additional health complications.
Examination of organ-specific aging discovered a positive feedback loop that presented from pulmonary system decline influencing cardiovascular aging and subsequent renal and musculoskeletal age progression (Tian et al. 2023). Pulmonary system aging can consist of decreases in peak aerobic capacity, elastic tissue and surface area for gas exchange, functional residual capacity, forced vital capacity, and the compliance of the chest wall (Khan et al. 2017). Furthermore, data collected on the brain found that gray matter aging led to increased aging of the brain’s functional connectivity. The “body and brain systems of individuals with chronic disease [were] significantly older on average than same-aged healthy peers”, those with Parkisonism had the least mean age gap, and chronic kidney disease individuals were projected to have the greatest age advancement. In an attempt to reveal the link between chronic disease risk and biological age, 16 categories of diseases such as stroke, depression, ischemic heart disease, CKD, diabetes, and osteoporosis were analyzed. This study noted the expected results of age progression between chronic diseases and the affected specific organ systems such as brain disorders like dementia and increased brain age. However, there was biological age advancement for several diseases that was not usually perceived to indicate certain chronic disease progression; this was seen in CKD and diabetes individuals who demonstrated increased brain aging that was unexpectedly significant (Tian et al. 2023). Biological organ-aging studies have shown that patients experiencing chronic diseases indicate increased biological age in organs that do not have an apparent connection to the organ subject to the certain chronic disease.
A separate study analyzing signaling pathways that correlated to aging identified “p53, Hedgehog, PPAR, insulin, VEGF, and Notch signaling pathways” (Nie et al. 2017) that might contribute to the hypothesis of deterioration at the cellular level. It is believed that changes and damage occurring at the cellular level greatly impacts age development and decline since these pathways were largely involved in homeostasis of cells and their health. The multifaceted nature of aging is evident in the factors that combine to influence biological aging and mortality risks. For example, research connecting organ-specific aging and the United Kingdom’s national death registries discovered that there was a significant difference of brain and body age gaps between those deceased and living. It was measured that age advancement by one year correlated to a seven percent elevation of mortality risk; this allowed researchers to distinguish the complex organ systems as a network of aging to help predict chronic disease and mortality risks. These advancements in assigning organ system age can propel detection and prevention of premature symptoms. Additionally, biological aging can promote the progression of disease as seen in the study in which healthy individuals aged consistently and those diagnosed later with chronic disease saw elevated levels of aging particularly in the renal, metabolic, and brain organ systems. Prediction of chronic diseases and mortality risks is in development through research in biological age.
A notable study on brain aging and schizophrenia saw significant differences for patients with the chronic brain disorder regarding predicted brain age and chronological age, signaling accelerated aging biologically. Schizophrenia like other chronic diseases can lead to increased mortality and cognitive impairments (Constantinides et al. 2023). These findings can be utilized for future interventions and predictions of the disease in premature cases.
The body is an interconnected network of organ systems and functions that affect one another in ways that can amplify existing diseases or promote further aging of organ systems. Research in the biological age of distinct organ systems has demonstrated the significance of leading healthy lifestyles which can aid in the prevention of common chronic diseases and delay mortality-related health complications.
References
Benzing, T., Schumacher, B. Chronic kidney disease promotes aging in a multiorgan disease network. Nat Rev Nephrol (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41581-023-00729-6
Constantinides, C., Han, L.K.M., Alloza, C. et al. Brain ageing in schizophrenia: evidence from 26 international cohorts via the ENIGMA Schizophrenia consortium. Mol Psychiatry 28, 1201–1209 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01897-w
Khan, S.S., Singer, B.D. and Vaughan, D.E. (2017), Molecular and physiological manifestations and measurement of aging in humans. Aging Cell, 16: 624-633. https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12601
Moqri, M., Snyder, M. Organ-specific aging and the risk of chronic diseases. Nat Med 29, 1068–1069 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02338-z
Nie, Chao et al. Distinct biological ages of organs and systems identified from a multi-omics study. Cell Reports, Volume 38, Issue 10, 110459 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110459
Tian, Y.E., Cropley, V., Maier, A.B. et al. Heterogeneous aging across multiple organ systems and prediction of chronic disease and mortality. Nat Med 29, 1221–1231 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02296-6
Chronic diseases are influenced significantly by the age of organs. A recent study regarding chronic kidney disease (CKD) found that it has the capacity to accelerate the aging of other organs such as the heart and the brain. Researchers utilized data from over 100,000 healthy individuals including phenotypes and multimodal imaging of the brain; this was collected in relation to the three brain systems including gray matter, brain connectivity, and white matter and the seven body systems including pulmonary, musculoskeletal, renal, cardiovascular, metabolic, immune, and hepatic systems (Tian et al. 2023). Machine learning algorithms were trained to comprehend heterogeneous aging and while the body and brain system’s chronological age were predicted rather accurately, age gaps that were unique to the organ were manifested; this occurred due to discrepancies between a certain organ system’s age and the predicted chronological age. These organ age gaps subtracted the chronological age from the predicted chronological age and were determined to be representative of organ systems’ biological age and overall health. If the organ system was perceived to be older compared to the standard for a subject’s chronological sex and age, then the age gap was greater than zero; if it appeared younger, then the age gap was negative (Tian et al. 2023). Researchers determined 101 organ-specific phenotypes and 78 body phenotypes through biochemical assays and physiological exams such as blood tests and blood pressure measurements. Studies identifying the impact of organ diseases on other organs highlight the significance of kidney aging in CKD since kidneys play a crucial role in homeostasis through filtration of water and electrolytes and excretion of toxins produced from metabolic processes within the human body. Aging of cardiovascular and pulmonary systems related to chronic kidney disease have shown elevated morbidity and mortality risk (Benzing and Schumacher 2023). Early onset kidney aging was negatively associated with tobacco use, walking pace, and hypertension. These data promote changes in lifestyle that enhance health and hinder aging of the kidneys as a method to prevent additional health complications later in life such as heart disease or dementia. Chronic diseases such as chronic kidney disease can affect the aging of other organ systems and lead to additional health complications.
Examination of organ-specific aging discovered a positive feedback loop that presented from pulmonary system decline influencing cardiovascular aging and subsequent renal and musculoskeletal age progression (Tian et al. 2023). Pulmonary system aging can consist of decreases in peak aerobic capacity, elastic tissue and surface area for gas exchange, functional residual capacity, forced vital capacity, and the compliance of the chest wall (Khan et al. 2017). Furthermore, data collected on the brain found that gray matter aging led to increased aging of the brain’s functional connectivity. The “body and brain systems of individuals with chronic disease [were] significantly older on average than same-aged healthy peers”, those with Parkisonism had the least mean age gap, and chronic kidney disease individuals were projected to have the greatest age advancement. In an attempt to reveal the link between chronic disease risk and biological age, 16 categories of diseases such as stroke, depression, ischemic heart disease, CKD, diabetes, and osteoporosis were analyzed. This study noted the expected results of age progression between chronic diseases and the affected specific organ systems such as brain disorders like dementia and increased brain age. However, there was biological age advancement for several diseases that was not usually perceived to indicate certain chronic disease progression; this was seen in CKD and diabetes individuals who demonstrated increased brain aging that was unexpectedly significant (Tian et al. 2023). Biological organ-aging studies have shown that patients experiencing chronic diseases indicate increased biological age in organs that do not have an apparent connection to the organ subject to the certain chronic disease.
A separate study analyzing signaling pathways that correlated to aging identified “p53, Hedgehog, PPAR, insulin, VEGF, and Notch signaling pathways” (Nie et al. 2017) that might contribute to the hypothesis of deterioration at the cellular level. It is believed that changes and damage occurring at the cellular level greatly impacts age development and decline since these pathways were largely involved in homeostasis of cells and their health. The multifaceted nature of aging is evident in the factors that combine to influence biological aging and mortality risks. For example, research connecting organ-specific aging and the United Kingdom’s national death registries discovered that there was a significant difference of brain and body age gaps between those deceased and living. It was measured that age advancement by one year correlated to a seven percent elevation of mortality risk; this allowed researchers to distinguish the complex organ systems as a network of aging to help predict chronic disease and mortality risks. These advancements in assigning organ system age can propel detection and prevention of premature symptoms. Additionally, biological aging can promote the progression of disease as seen in the study in which healthy individuals aged consistently and those diagnosed later with chronic disease saw elevated levels of aging particularly in the renal, metabolic, and brain organ systems. Prediction of chronic diseases and mortality risks is in development through research in biological age.
A notable study on brain aging and schizophrenia saw significant differences for patients with the chronic brain disorder regarding predicted brain age and chronological age, signaling accelerated aging biologically. Schizophrenia like other chronic diseases can lead to increased mortality and cognitive impairments (Constantinides et al. 2023). These findings can be utilized for future interventions and predictions of the disease in premature cases.
The body is an interconnected network of organ systems and functions that affect one another in ways that can amplify existing diseases or promote further aging of organ systems. Research in the biological age of distinct organ systems has demonstrated the significance of leading healthy lifestyles which can aid in the prevention of common chronic diseases and delay mortality-related health complications.
References
Benzing, T., Schumacher, B. Chronic kidney disease promotes aging in a multiorgan disease network. Nat Rev Nephrol (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41581-023-00729-6
Constantinides, C., Han, L.K.M., Alloza, C. et al. Brain ageing in schizophrenia: evidence from 26 international cohorts via the ENIGMA Schizophrenia consortium. Mol Psychiatry 28, 1201–1209 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01897-w
Khan, S.S., Singer, B.D. and Vaughan, D.E. (2017), Molecular and physiological manifestations and measurement of aging in humans. Aging Cell, 16: 624-633. https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12601
Moqri, M., Snyder, M. Organ-specific aging and the risk of chronic diseases. Nat Med 29, 1068–1069 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02338-z
Nie, Chao et al. Distinct biological ages of organs and systems identified from a multi-omics study. Cell Reports, Volume 38, Issue 10, 110459 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110459
Tian, Y.E., Cropley, V., Maier, A.B. et al. Heterogeneous aging across multiple organ systems and prediction of chronic disease and mortality. Nat Med 29, 1221–1231 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02296-6
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