| Title: | StackAge: an ensemble-based clock for precise quantification of biological age using multi-omics data |
| Journal: | Briefings in Bioinformatics |
| Published: | 4 May 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42218715/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1093/bib/bbag271 |
Publication 20177
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Abstract
Accurate quantification of biological age is essential for early risk stratification and intervention of chronic diseases. Here, we present StackAge, an ensemble-based biological aging clock that integrates large-scale plasma proteomic and metabolomic profiles from 30 376 participants in the UK Biobank. StackAge demonstrated high accuracy in age prediction (Pearson r ≈ 0.93 with chronological age) and substantially enhanced risk prediction for 12 chronic diseases, achieving AUCs exceeding 0.90 for type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and chronic kidney disease. Notably, the incorporation of estimated aging rates consistently improved disease prediction beyond conventional omics and demographic features. Feature interpretation and pathway enrichment analyses revealed that aging-associated biomarkers were enriched in inflammation, metabolic stress, and extracellular matrix remodeling pathways. Mediation analysis further indicated that modifiable lifestyle factors may accelerate biological aging, thereby increasing susceptibility to cardiovascular, neurological, immune, and musculoskeletal disorders. Together, these findings establish a robust multi-omics framework for quantifying individual aging trajectories and highlight biological age as a clinically actionable indicator for precision prevention and health management of age-related diseases.</p>
12 Keywords
- Aged
- Aging
- Biomarkers
- Chronic Disease
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Metabolomics
- Multiomics
- Proteomics
- UK Biobank
6 Authors
- Yingyi Jiang
- Lei Jia
- Yuan Fei
- Xiaoguang Li
- Xiaoqi Zheng
- Yufang Qin
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 116409 | Causal inference for complex data structure with Mendelian randomization |
Enabling scientific discoveries that improve human health