Biological age acceleration and mortality in U.S. adults with cardio-kidney-metabolic syndrome, stages 0-3
In this NHANES cohort abstract, adults with cardio-kidney-metabolic syndrome stages 0-3 whose biological age was older than expected had higher all-cause, cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality; the association is not proof of cause. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The cohort included 16,837 NHANES participants with cardio-kidney-metabolic syndrome stages 0-3, followed for a median of 11.33 years. [1]
After full adjustment, positive Klemera-Doubal biological age acceleration was associated with 41% higher all-cause mortality. [1]
The abstract reports prediction models with training areas under the curve of 0.776 and 0.775 at 10 and 20 years. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Observational cohort study (abstract)
- Population / context
- U.S. adults with cardio-kidney-metabolic syndrome, stages 0-3, in NHANES 1999-2010 and 2015-2018.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- August 1, 2026
NHANES adults with CKM stages 0-3
The abstract describes a cohort of 16,837 participants from NHANES 1999-2010 and 2015-2018, linked to mortality data through 2019. All had cardio-kidney-metabolic syndrome, stages 0-3. Biological age was estimated with two algorithms, the Klemera-Doubal Method and Phenotypic Age; the difference between estimated and expected age defined biological age acceleration. Over a median follow-up of 11.33 years, 10.8% of the weighted population, or 9.75 million adults, died.
Supporting source [1]
Higher mortality with accelerated biological age
After full adjustment for confounders, a positive Klemera-Doubal biological age acceleration was linked to 41% higher all-cause mortality, 74% higher cardiovascular mortality and 31% higher non-cardiovascular mortality. Positive phenotypic age acceleration showed larger increases: 103% for all-cause, 79% for cardiovascular and 112% for non-cardiovascular mortality. The abstract reports that both measures showed a consistent positive association across several subgroups and sensitivity analyses. These are associations from an observational cohort, not evidence that biological age acceleration causes death.
Supporting source [1]
Prediction models and abstract-only limits
The authors built risk prediction models (LASSO-Cox nomograms) for mortality. Discrimination was reported as areas under the curve of 0.776 and 0.775 at 10 and 20 years in training and 0.765 and 0.757 in validation, with good calibration; the abstract calls this potential clinical applicability, not proven benefit. The authors conclude that biological age acceleration independently predicts long-term mortality and that phenotypic age acceleration had superior prognostic value. Only the abstract was reviewed, not the full text, so details of adjustment, model validation and study limitations could not be checked.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Only the abstract was reviewed; the full text was not reviewed. The design is an observational NHANES cohort, so the reported associations do not establish causation. Adjustment details, model validation and study limitations could not be checked.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Chen X, Huang Y, Huang Y, Li Y, Chen X, Wang Y, Liu X, Liu X. · europepmc.org · August 1, 2026