Aging linked to risk in early cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic syndrome
In adults 45 or older with early-stage cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic syndrome, a relative cardiovascular disease risk measure was 1.54 for the highest versus lowest aging-score quarters.
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Researchers analyzed 10,182 adults aged 45 and older with stages 0–3 of cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic syndrome in an observational study using cohorts in China and the United States. The syndrome connects heart and blood vessel health, kidney health and metabolism, how the body uses energy. They assessed biological aging using Light BioAge, a score based on routine clinical measurements.
During follow-up, 1,974 cardiovascular disease events occurred. The highest versus lowest score quarters had a subdistribution hazard ratio, a relative measure of cardiovascular disease risk, of 1.54. The researchers also built a machine-learning model to predict long-term risk. In an independent validation cohort, its six-year area under the curve—a measure of how well it distinguished people who developed cardiovascular disease from those who did not—was 0.763. Light BioAge was the model’s most influential predictor.
Why it matters
People within the same cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic syndrome stage can face different cardiovascular risks. Biological aging may capture vulnerability beyond chronological age and help guide more precise, stage-informed prevention.
Caveats
This observational study could not determine cause and effect and was reported in a conference abstract. Its findings concern adults aged 45 or older with stages 0–3 of the syndrome and may not apply to younger people or those with more advanced disease.
The paper
China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University
ESC Congress 2026 Abstract, Oct 26, 2026
Presented at ESC Congress 2026
