Faster proteome-derived aging of the heart, artery, and kidney was linked to more severe heart failure, with some sex-specific patterns.
Evidence
This cohort analysis used plasma proteomics in 556 HELPFul participants to estimate and found heart aging was associated with Stage C/D heart failure in both sexes, while artery aging and TyG-BMI links were stronger in women.
Caveat
Because this was an observational proteomics study, the sex-specific organ-aging associations cannot establish causation.
Simplified
BACKGROUND: Biological aging varies across individuals and tissues, influencing chronic diseases, including heart failure (HF). Emerging proteome techniques enable quantification of organ-specific aging acceleration (), but whether OAA relates to HF severity and differs by sex remains unclear. We aim to assess the sex-related association between OAA of heart, artery and kidneys and HF severity, and to investigate relevant cardiometabolic risk factors of organ aging.
METHODS: In 556 participants from the HELPFul cohort, we estimated predicted biological age for heart, artery, and kidneys using plasma proteomics and calculated OAA as the deviation from chronological age. Associations between OAA and HF stage, echocardiographic parameters, and cardiometabolic risk factors were evaluated using regression models. Composite indices, including triglyceride-glucose body mass index (TyG-BMI), c-reactive protein-triglyceride glucose index and triglyceride-to-HDL cholesterol ratio were assessed for associations with advanced OAA.
RESULTS: Mean age was 63 ± 9 years; 65% were women. Patients were classified as HF stage A (35%), B (29%) and C/D (36%). Heart OAA was significantly associated with advanced HF (Stage C/D) in both sexes (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.23 in women; OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.32 in men), while artery OAA was linked to HF only in women (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.18). Multi-organ aging (≥ 2 organs with advanced OAA) conferred over three-fold higher odds of being in Stage C/D. Heart OAA correlated with impaired cardiac structure and function, particularly reduced ejection fraction in men and increased left ventricular mass index in both sexes. Diabetes emerged as the most relevant factor of artery and kidney OAA. TyG-BMI was significantly associated with advanced kidney OAA, only in women (z-scored OR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.45 to 2.45).
CONCLUSIONS: Proteome-derived organ aging correlates with HF severity, with possible sex-related patterns. Diabetes and higher TyG-BMI are associated with faster organ aging, which may reflect shared aging mechanisms between metabolic dysfunction and HF.
Key numbers
1.12
Increase in Odds of Advanced Stage C/D
for women with advanced heart
3×
Multi-organ Aging Impact on Stage
Odds increase for being in Stage C/D with multi-organ aging
1.88
Diabetes Impact on Kidney
for advanced kidney in women with diabetes
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Longevity & Aging