Brain Aging Mediating Heart Imaging-Derived Phenotypes and Mental and Nervous System Disorders.

Zairen Zhou, Wenjing Su, Yuna Li, Bei Zhang, Fang Lan, Dawei Lin, Jin-Tai Yu, Jianfeng Feng, Yifei Jin, Peng Ren, Wei Cheng

Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disorders and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disorders and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

Mental and nervous system disorders often co-occur with cardiovascular diseases in aging populations, yet the biological relationships underlying these associations remain incompletely understood. Using heart and brain imaging data from 33,573 UK Biobank (UKB) participants, we developed a brain age prediction model to estimate the brain age gap (BAG), an imaging-based marker of brain aging. We then examined BAG as a mediator between 82 cardiac imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs) and 11 disorders. Sixty-one cardiac IDPs, particularly those related to the atria and left ventricle, were significantly associated with BAG, with several also related to mental and nervous system disorders. Mediation analyses revealed that BAG significantly mediated 18 associations between heart and substance abuse, mood, and neurotic disorders. Furthermore, we observed a total of 49 significant associations, where lifestyle factors, including smoking and physical activity, were related to heart-brain aging-disorder relationships. These findings highlight brain aging as a potential pathway linking cardiovascular health to diverse brain disorders in aging populations.

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Research summary

The paper claims that brain aging mediates the relationship between cardiac imaging-derived phenotypes and various mental and nervous system disorders. This research is relevant as it explores the biological connections between cardiovascular health and brain aging, potentially addressing underlying mechanisms of age-related diseases rather than merely treating symptoms.

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