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- Title
Biological Aging Predicts Vulnerability to COVID-19 Severity in UK Biobank Participants.
- Authors
Kuo, Chia-Ling; Pilling, Luke C; Atkins, Janice L; Masoli, Jane A H; Delgado, João; Tignanelli, Christopher; Kuchel, George A; Melzer, David; Beckman, Kenneth B; Levine, Morgan E
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>Age and disease prevalence are the 2 biggest risk factors for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptom severity and death. We therefore hypothesized that increased biological age, beyond chronological age, may be driving disease-related trends in COVID-19 severity.<bold>Methods: </bold>Using the UK Biobank England data, we tested whether a biological age estimate (PhenoAge) measured more than a decade prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was predictive of 2 COVID-19 severity outcomes (inpatient test positivity and COVID-19-related mortality with inpatient test-confirmed COVID-19). Logistic regression models were used with adjustment for age at the pandemic, sex, ethnicity, baseline assessment centers, and preexisting diseases/conditions.<bold>Results: </bold>Six hundred and thirteen participants tested positive at inpatient settings between March 16 and April 27, 2020, 154 of whom succumbed to COVID-19. PhenoAge was associated with increased risks of inpatient test positivity and COVID-19-related mortality (ORMortality = 1.63 per 5 years, 95% CI: 1.43-1.86, p = 4.7 × 10-13) adjusting for demographics including age at the pandemic. Further adjustment for preexisting diseases/conditions at baseline (ORM = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.30-1.73 per 5 years, p = 3.1 × 10-8) and at the early pandemic (ORM = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.04-1.40 per 5 years, p = .011) decreased the association.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>PhenoAge measured in 2006-2010 was associated with COVID-19 severity outcomes more than 10 years later. These associations were partly accounted for by prevalent chronic diseases proximate to COVID-19 infection. Overall, our results suggest that aging biomarkers, like PhenoAge may capture long-term vulnerability to diseases like COVID-19, even before the accumulation of age-related comorbid conditions.
- Subjects
UNITED Kingdom; ENGLAND; COVID-19; COVID-19 pandemic; DISEASE risk factors; AGE; DISEASE prevalence
- Publication
Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences & Medical Sciences, 2021, Vol 76, Issue 8, pe133
- ISSN
1079-5006
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1093/gerona/glab060