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Racial disparities in the association of epigenetic age acceleration with the transition between normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment and dementia
Guangwen Liu, Chenlu Hong, Yujie Huang, Boyuan Guan, Yating Liu, Zhaorui Liu, Yanan Luo. Global Transitions, 2025-08-07
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Results Among those with NC at baseline (n=2,671), 1,053 (39.42%) were male, 1,618 (60.58%) were female, 2,057 (77.01%) were Whites, and 614 (22.99%) were Non-White. Accelerated epigenetic aging measured by GrimAge clock was associated with higher risk of MCI incidence (HR=1.56, 95% CI: 1.15-2.11) whereas epigenetic age acceleration measured by all the seven epigenetic clocks and the risk of transition from NC to dementia was not associated. Participants with age acceleration measured by Horvath’s skin&blood clock had a higher risk of transition from MCI to dementia (HR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.09-2.40). Specifically, associations between GrimAge AccelAge and higher risk of transition from NC to MCI (HR=2.04, 95% CI: 1.10-3.79, P for interaction=0.039) as well as transition from NC to dementia (HR=3.71, 95% CI: 1.03-13.34, P for interaction=0.040) were only found among Non-White participants. In addition, significant association between epigenetic age acceleration measured by Hannum (HR=2.16, 95% CI: 1.10-4.24, P for interaction=0.048), Horvath’s skin&blood (HR=4.33, 95% CI: 2.04-9.20, P for interaction=0.046), and Zhang’s clock (HR=1.94, 95% CI: 1.07-3.51, P for interaction=0.046), and the higher risk of the transition from MCI to dementia was only observed in non-White respondents. Conclusions Exposure to accelerated epigenetic aging was significantly associated with a higher risk of transition from NC to MCI as well as progression from MCI to dementia.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Liu, G., Hong, C., Huang, Y., Guan, B., Liu, Y., Liu, Z., et al. (2025). Racial disparities in the association of epigenetic age acceleration with the transition between normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Global Transitions. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.glt.2025.08.001
Vancouver
Liu G, Hong C, Huang Y, Guan B, Liu Y, Liu Z, et al. Racial disparities in the association of epigenetic age acceleration with the transition between normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Global Transitions. 2025. doi:10.1016/j.glt.2025.08.001.
BibTeX
@article{liu2025-e1ea9586,
author = {Liu, Guangwen and Hong, Chenlu and Huang, Yujie and Guan, Boyuan and Liu, Yating and Liu, Zhaorui and Luo, Yanan},
title = {{Racial disparities in the association of epigenetic age acceleration with the transition between normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment and dementia}},
journal = {Global Transitions},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1016/j.glt.2025.08.001},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.glt.2025.08.001}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Results Among those with NC at baseline (n=2,671), 1,053 (39.42%) were male, 1,618 (60.58%) were female, 2,057 (77.01%) were Whites, and 614 (22.99%) were Non-White.
- Accelerated epigenetic aging measured by GrimAge clock was associated with higher risk of MCI incidence (HR=1.56, 95% CI: 1.15-2.11) whereas epigenetic age acceleration measured by all the seven epigenetic clocks and the risk of transition from NC to dementia was not associated.
- Participants with age acceleration measured by Horvath’s skin&blood clock had a higher risk of transition from MCI to dementia (HR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.09-2.40).
- Specifically, associations between GrimAge AccelAge and higher risk of transition from NC to MCI (HR=2.04, 95% CI: 1.10-3.79, P for interaction=0.039) as well as transition from NC to dementia (HR=3.71, 95% CI: 1.03-13.34, P for interaction=0.040) were only found among Non-White participants.
- In addition, significant association between epigenetic age acceleration measured by Hannum (HR=2.16, 95% CI: 1.10-4.24, P for interaction=0.048), Horvath’s skin&blood (HR=4.33, 95% CI: 2.04-9.20, P for interaction=0.046), and Zhang’s clock (HR=1.94, 95% CI: 1.07-3.51, P for interaction=0.046), and the higher risk of the transition from MCI to dementia was only observed in non-White respondents.
Why it matters
This study found that accelerated epigenetic aging was associated with higher risk of transitioning from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment, and some clocks predicted transition from mild cognitive impairment to dementia, with stronger associations in non-White participants. It does not test a treatment or cure for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Participants2,671
- Effect size39.42%; 60.58%; 77.01%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 40/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Global Transitions) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Global Transitions: journal h-index 33 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 2,671 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| 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 | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Yanan Luo: h-index 23 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Peking University: institution h-index 1,098 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 40 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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