Biological Aging Predicts Vulnerability to COVID-19 Severity in UK Biobank Participants.
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci
; 76(8): e133-e141, 2021 07 13.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1120179
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Age and disease prevalence are the 2 biggest risk factors for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptom severity and death. We therefore hypothesized that increased biological age, beyond chronological age, may be driving disease-related trends in COVID-19 severity.METHODS:
Using the UK Biobank England data, we tested whether a biological age estimate (PhenoAge) measured more than a decade prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was predictive of 2 COVID-19 severity outcomes (inpatient test positivity and COVID-19-related mortality with inpatient test-confirmed COVID-19). Logistic regression models were used with adjustment for age at the pandemic, sex, ethnicity, baseline assessment centers, and preexisting diseases/conditions.RESULTS:
Six hundred and thirteen participants tested positive at inpatient settings between March 16 and April 27, 2020, 154 of whom succumbed to COVID-19. PhenoAge was associated with increased risks of inpatient test positivity and COVID-19-related mortality (ORMortality = 1.63 per 5 years, 95% CI 1.43-1.86, p = 4.7 × 10-13) adjusting for demographics including age at the pandemic. Further adjustment for preexisting diseases/conditions at baseline (ORM = 1.50, 95% CI 1.30-1.73 per 5 years, p = 3.1 × 10-8) and at the early pandemic (ORM = 1.21, 95% CI 1.04-1.40 per 5 years, p = .011) decreased the association.CONCLUSIONS:
PhenoAge measured in 2006-2010 was associated with COVID-19 severity outcomes more than 10 years later. These associations were partly accounted for by prevalent chronic diseases proximate to COVID-19 infection. Overall, our results suggest that aging biomarkers, like PhenoAge may capture long-term vulnerability to diseases like COVID-19, even before the accumulation of age-related comorbid conditions.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Severity of Illness Index
/
Aging
/
Mortality
/
Biological Specimen Banks
/
COVID-19 Testing
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Aged
/
Humans
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci
Journal subject:
Geriatrics
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Gerona
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