MRI brain imaging can effectively reveal how quickly an individual is aging biologically compared to their chronological age, providing critical insights into future health risks, including Alzheimer's disease. Researchers created the DunedinPACN tool to analyze MRI data, focusing on factors such as surface area and gray matter volume. Their study indicated that individuals showing accelerated biological aging were significantly more likely to develop chronic diseases and experience heightened mortality within a few years. Additionally, such individuals had poorer memory performance and increased brain shrinkage, particularly in the hippocampus, associated with cognitive decline.
Researchers from Duke University discovered that MRI brain imaging during midlife can accurately determine the pace of biological aging, predicting health outcomes later in life.
The DunedinPACN tool calculates a patient's 'Pace of Aging' by analyzing factors like surface area, gray matter volume, and specific brain regions such as the hippocampus.
Results showed that people aging at faster rates were 18 percent more likely to be diagnosed with chronic disease and 40 percent more likely to die within a few years.
Faster agers exhibited worse performance on memory and thinking tests, with smaller hippocampal volume linked to cognitive decline and larger ventricle volumes associated with poor health.
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