Motoric cognitive risk syndrome and epigenetic aging in a cohort of the community-dwelling aging population

Abstract

Background

Preventing dementia is a global priority. Motoric cognitive risk (MCR) is a pre-dementia syndrome comprising age-related functional declines; however, there is little evidence of its association with accelerated aging.

Objective

To investigate the cross-sectional association between MCR and epigenetic aging using 13 DNA methylation (DNAm) clocks.

Methods

A total of 2949 participants from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) cohort were included in this study. Of the 13 epigenetic clocks, nine were first-generation clocks and four were second-generation. The association between the prevalence of MCR and epigenetic aging clocks along with their accelerated aging (AccelAge) measures was calculated using logistic and linear regression models.

Results

The prevalence of MCR was 1.90 %; those with the syndrome had a mean age of 69.7 years. MCR was associated with Horvath 2, YANG, and GrimAge DNAm clocks in both logistic and linear regression models. Individuals with MCR had a higher rate of accelerated aging according to Horvath 2 AccelAge (OR = 1.37, 95 % CI = 1.02–1.85, P = 0.035), YANG AccelAge (OR = 1.29, 95 % CI = 1.03–1.62, P = 0.024) and GrimAge AccelAge (OR = 1.47, 95 % CI = 1.07–2.04, P = 0.019) in the logistic regression model, and Horvath 2 AccelAge (β = 0.34, 95 % CI = 0.04–0.64, P = 0.027), YANG AccelAge (β = 0.41, 95 % CI = 0.13–0.68, P = 0.003) and GrimAge AccelAge (β = 0.28, 95 % CI = 0.03–0.52, P = 0.025) in the linear regression model. A linear dose-response relationship with relative risk of MCR was observed in the multivariable-adjusted restricted cubic splines curves.

Conclusion

MCR was found to be a state of accelerated aging according to Horvath 2, YANG, and GrimAge DNAm clocks. Individuals with accelerated aging as measured by GrimAge had the highest odds of MCR. Epigenetic aging could serve as a marker for dementia risk in older individuals.