Two age-related DNA changes linked to higher death risk in men
Men with both DNA changes had a 43% higher relative risk of death than men with neither during a median 15.3 years of follow-up.
Limit: The study included only men aged 37 to 73 at enrollment
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
An observational cohort study examined 205,534 men aged 37–73 in the UK Biobank. Researchers used DNA tests to identify two age-related changes. One was clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential, involving groups of blood cells with shared acquired DNA changes. The other was mosaic loss of the Y chromosome, meaning some cells lacked that chromosome.
During a median follow-up of 15.3 years, 28,164 men died. Men with both changes had a 43% higher relative risk of death from any cause than men with neither. Having both changes was also associated with higher mortality from coronary heart disease. The links with stroke and heart failure mortality were not statistically significant. The strength of the joint association varied depending on which gene carried the blood-cell mutation.
Why it matters
The work addresses how age-related genetic changes relate to survival when considered together rather than in isolation.
Caveats
Because this was an observational study, it can identify associations but cannot prove that the genetic changes caused deaths. The study also included only men aged 37 to 73 at enrollment, so the results may not apply to men outside this age range.
