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74/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 74 out of 100. Tau biomarkers

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Background and objectives Growing evidence suggests that decreased epigenetic age relative to chronological age may be protective against late-life cognitive decline and dementia, but the mechanism leading to this resilience is unknown. Results At baseline (Exam 8, 2005-2008), the sample included 2,606 participants [mean age: 66 (SD = 9) years, 55% female, mean education: 16 (SD = 3) years]. Epigenetic age measures were weakly but significantly ( p < 0.001) correlated with t-tau ( r : 0.08-0.12) and TCBV ( r : -0.05 to -0.24). All epigenetic age measures were associated with worse baseline EF (DunedinPACE: β = -0.040, 95% CI [-0.067 to -0.012], p adj = 0.01; PCPhenoAge: β = -0.036, 95% CI [-0.062 to -0.011], p adj = 0.01; PCGrimAge: β = -0.049, 95% CI [-0.080 to -0.018], p adj = 0.01). PCPhenoAge also was associated with worse baseline memory (β = -0.034, 95% CI [-0.058 to -0.010], p adj = 0.01) and language (β = -0.032, 95% CI [-0.058 to -0.006], p adj = 0.03). DunedinPACE was associated with time to MCI (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.16, 95% CI [1.04-1.30], p adj = 0.04) and all-cause dementia (HR = 1.30, 95% CI [1.10-1.54], p adj = 0.03). Epigenetic age measures were not associated with the rate of decline. Discussion Independent of t-tau and TCBV, epigenetic age measures were associated with time to MCI, AD, and all-cause dementia and baseline cognition, but not with cognitive trajectories. The results support epigenetic age measures as markers of resilience through brain reserve.

Key findings

Background and objectives Growing evidence suggests that decreased epigenetic age relative to chronological age may be protective against late-life cognitive decline and dementia, but the mechanism leading to this resilience is unknown.
Results At baseline (Exam 8, 2005-2008), the sample included 2,606 participants [mean age: 66 (SD = 9) years, 55% female, mean education: 16 (SD = 3) years].
Epigenetic age measures were weakly but significantly ( p < 0.001) correlated with t-tau ( r : 0.08-0.12) and TCBV ( r : -0.05 to -0.24).
All epigenetic age measures were associated with worse baseline EF (DunedinPACE: β = -0.040, 95% CI [-0.067 to -0.012], p adj = 0.01; PCPhenoAge: β = -0.036, 95% CI [-0.062 to -0.011], p adj = 0.01; PCGrimAge: β = -0.049, 95% CI [-0.080 to -0.018], p adj = 0.01).
PCPhenoAge also was associated with worse baseline memory (β = -0.034, 95% CI [-0.058 to -0.010], p adj = 0.01) and language (β = -0.032, 95% CI [-0.058 to -0.006], p adj = 0.03).

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Study details

Study designlongitudinal study
Participants2,606
Effect sizeHR = 1.30
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 74/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 43 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 74 out of 100.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neurology open access)
Journal's citation record	— / 4	No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score
Study design	7 / 12	A longitudinal study following the same people over time
Strength of evidence	3 / 5	Rated “moderate” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	5 / 5	2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	3 / 4	2,606 participants
Effect reported	3 / 3	Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar)
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	— / 7	No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score
Citations per year	— / 5	No citation count or no year — left out of this score
Impact for its field and year	— / 6	No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score
Cited by studies here	— / 6	Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score
Still being cited	— / 4	No yearly citation counts — left out of this score
Senior author's track record	— / 4	Senior author's record not available — left out of this score
Institution's track record	— / 3	No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score
Multi-centre collaboration	— / 3	Institutions not listed — left out of this score
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 42828354)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Points	43 / 58	Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 43 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 74 out of 100.
Total	74 / 100	—

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APA 7th

Dacey, R., Durape, S., Wang, M., Hwang, P. H., Gurnani, A. S., Ang, T. F. A., et al. (2026). Epigenetic Age and Resilience in the Framingham Heart Study. Neurology open access. https://doi.org/10.1212/wn9.0000000000000081

Vancouver

Dacey R, Durape S, Wang M, Hwang PH, Gurnani AS, Ang TFA, et al. Epigenetic Age and Resilience in the Framingham Heart Study. Neurology open access. 2026. doi:10.1212/wn9.0000000000000081. PMID: 42828354.

BibTeX

@article{dacey2026-42828354,
  author  = {Dacey, R. and Durape, S. and Wang, M. and Hwang, P. H. and Gurnani, A. S. and Ang, T. F. A. and Devine, S. A. and Choi, S. E. and others},
  title   = {{Epigenetic Age and Resilience in the Framingham Heart Study}},
  journal = {Neurology open access},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.1212/wn9.0000000000000081},
  pmid    = {42828354},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wn9.0000000000000081}
}

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