Supplements

Accelerated metabolic age is associated with increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and major adverse events in adults aged 65 years and older.

In a cohort of 1,218 participants (mean age 59.1 years), a metabolic age (metAge) derived from 987 plasma metabolites was associated with cardiovascular risk. Among adults aged 65 years and older, each one-year increase in accelerated metAge was associated with a 12% higher risk of ASCVD (HR=1.12, 95% CI: 1.00-1.26, two-sided p=0.059) and a 10% higher risk of major adverse events (HR=1.10, 95% CI: 1.01-1.18, two-sided p=0.028).

Last updated: Aug 13, 2026•0 RCTs•📖 Read as article →

Evidence Score

Evidence Score34/100
Human RCT☆☆☆☆☆
Meta-analysis☆☆☆☆☆
Mechanism★★★★★
Safety★★★★☆
Confidencelow

Study Evidence

Study 1. Metabolic signature across Life's Essential 8 profiles is heterogenous and may predict cardiovascular disease and mortality.

observational

Pollack IM, Duan J, Swanson J, Wang H, Kip K, Reis SE, McKennan C, Saeed A · Metabolism open (2026)

Participants: N/A
Duration: Not specified (baseline data used)
Intervention: Metabolic age (metAge) derived via elastic net regression from 987 plasma metabolites, predicting chronological age while adjusting for sex and race.
Outcome: Incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and major adverse events (MAE).
Effect Size: HR=1.12 per year for ASCVD; HR=1.10 per year for MAE
Population: Adults aged 65 years and older from the Heart SCORE study (overall cohort: mean age 59.1 years, 67.1% women, 39.2% Black).

Result:

PubMed: 42571324DOI: 10.1016/j.metop.2026.100487

Mechanism Graph

Plasma metabolites are profiled using Metabolon platform.
↓
Elastic net regression derives metabolic age (metAge) from 987 metabolites.
↓
Accelerated metAge (difference between metAge and chronological age) is calculated.
↓
Cox proportional hazards models assess association between accelerated metAge and ASCVD/MAE.
↓
Higher accelerated metAge is associated with increased risk of ASCVD and MAE in older adults.

Limitations

  • ⚠Observational study design; causality cannot be inferred.
  • ⚠The association was only significant in adults aged 65 years and older, not in the entire cohort.
  • ⚠The ASCVD association had a two-sided p-value of 0.059, which is not significant at the conventional 0.05 level.
  • ⚠The study used modified LE8 metrics, which may not fully capture standard cardiovascular health definitions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is metabolic age (metAge)?▼

Metabolic age is a measure derived from plasma metabolites that predicts chronological age, adjusted for sex and race. It reflects the biological aging of metabolic pathways.

How was metabolic age associated with cardiovascular risk?▼

In adults aged 65 years and older, each one-year increase in accelerated metAge was associated with a 12% higher risk of ASCVD and a 10% higher risk of major adverse events, after multivariable adjustment.

Did the study find any specific metabolic patterns for sleep health?▼

Yes, optimal sleep health was most strongly associated with lower activity of the phosphatidylethanolamine pathway, suggesting a distinct metabolic signature for sleep.

What is the significance of this study?▼

The study shows that metabolic age is independently associated with cardiovascular outcomes, even beyond many Life's Essential 8 variables, highlighting the potential of metabolomics in risk prediction.

Products

Affiliate links coming soon. We only recommend products that match the doses and forms used in the cited research.

References

  1. 1.Pollack IM, Duan J, Swanson J, Wang H, Kip K, Reis SE, McKennan C, Saeed A. "Metabolic signature across Life's Essential 8 profiles is heterogenous and may predict cardiovascular disease and mortality.." Metabolism open, 2026. PMID: 42571324 DOI: 10.1016/j.metop.2026.100487
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Evidence scores reflect the quality and quantity of available research, not clinical recommendations. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplement or intervention.