Model separates shared and organ-specific aging in people
In an observational analysis of 501,388 UK Biobank participants, the model predicted lifespan and disease risk better than models using the original aging measures.
Limit: Estimated biological age gaps serve as proxies for shared and organ-specific aging
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Researchers analyzed observational data from 501,388 UK Biobank participants with a model designed to separate shared and organ-specific aging. They divided seven organ-based biological age gaps—differences between estimated biological age and actual age—into one shared component and seven organ-specific components. These separated measures predicted lifespan, healthy lifespan and organ-specific disease risk better than the original body or organ measures.
An analysis of genetic variation identified 747 previously unreported DNA regions associated with aging. Analyses of proteins and small molecules pointed to biological factors shared across tissues and others restricted to particular organs. Separate analyses of men and women found different molecular patterns. The researchers assembled the findings in an open-access atlas called HONOR.
Why it matters
Aging involves both body-wide changes and changes within individual organs. The authors propose using this distinction to help identify potential drug targets related to aging.
Caveats
The observational findings do not establish that the identified biological factors cause aging or that targeting them would improve health. The abstract does not give numerical comparisons of prediction performance.
The paper
Structural decomposition enables multi-omics dissection of common and organ-specific aging
Fudan University; Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health
Science China Life Sciences, May 8, 2026
