United States: Research shows that individuals who experience rapid bodily aging face a higher risk of dementia development than those with typical or slower patterns of aging.
Biological vs. Chronological Aging
Studies demonstrate that individuals with rapid bodily aging face a 30% increased risk of dementia development when compared to individuals with normal biological time alignment, as reported by HealthDay.
People with advanced biological age displayed dementia-related brain changes such as brain shrinking, according to a study published April 30 in Neurology.
Brain Shrinkage and Structural Changes
“These brain structure changes explain some, but not all, of the association between advanced biological age and dementia,” lead researcher Yacong Bo with Zhengzhou University in China said in a news release.
“These results support the hypothesis that advanced biological age may contribute to the development of dementia by causing a widespread change in brain structure,” Bo added.
Body aging, referred to as biological age, represents the process of accumulated damage, while chronological age matches a person’s birthday value.
A new study links "biological age" with dementia risk, which is fascinating, but we probably need to talk a bit about the methodology behind "biological age." (Thread) pic.twitter.com/jrDNsRMkTN
— F. Perry Wilson, MD MSCE (@fperrywilson) April 30, 2025
“While none of us can change our chronological age, we can influence our biological age through lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise,” Bo said.
The research team performed medical data analyses on 281,000 UK Biobank participants who belonged to a long-term health project focused on United Kingdom residents. The participants began the study with an average biological age of 57 years.
Researchers tracked 281,000 participants in UK Biobank for an average of 14 years until 4,800 people developed dementia, according to study findings.
How Biological Age Was Measured
The team assessed the biological age of participants through two established tests, which analyzed lung function, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood chemistry results.
The testing methods demonstrate how physical systems integrate across the body during aging, including metabolism and immune function, major organ performance, and other biological processes.
The study revealed that people exhibiting advanced biological aging suffered a 30% higher incidence of dementia development following adjustments for dementia-related factors, including age, education, and smoking status, as reported by HealthDay.
The brains of people with more biological aging displayed a reduction in grey matter that serves as a site for information processing through MRI scans.