Hypertension accelerates aging: Evidence from NHANES database and Mendelian randomization analyses.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Genetics

Background:

• Hypertension is suspected to accelerate biological aging, but causal evidence is limited.
• Understanding this link is crucial for developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between hypertension and biological aging.
• To provide evidence for a causal effect of hypertension on aging processes.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 2005-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data.
• Weighted multivariable-adjusted linear regression to assess hypertension's association with PhenoAge and PhenoAge acceleration.
• Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) using genome-wide association study data to infer causality for DNA methylation (DNAm) age acceleration, telomere length, frailty index, and facial aging.

Main Results:

• Hypertension was significantly associated with increased PhenoAge (β=12, p<0.001) and PhenoAge acceleration (β=0.56, p=0.009) in NHANES data.
• MR analyses suggested a causal link between hypertension and DNAm PhenoAge acceleration (OR=1.31, p<0.05), DNAm GrimAge acceleration (OR=1.33, p<0.05), and the frailty index (OR=1.09, p<0.05).
• Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings.

Conclusions:

• Hypertension is associated with increased biological age (PhenoAge) and its acceleration.
• The study suggests a potential causal relationship between hypertension and epigenetic aging markers.
• Findings highlight the impact of hypertension on accelerated aging processes.