Metabolomic and omic assessment of biological ageing across the life-course (METAGE)

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Both genetic and environmental factors affect the ageing process, leading to differences in ageing rates. Therefore, a person's "biological age", or overall physiological state, may differ from what is expected given their actual (chronological) age. Differences in biological aging rates mean some people die earlier and have more health problems in later life.We aim to develop blood-based measures of biological age that provides improved prediction, over chronological age itself, of ill health and premature mortality in adults and developmental outcomes in children.We will existing metabolomics (whole sets of small molecules) and other 'omics' (whole sets of molecules related to gene control and function) data from multiple population based cohort studies in the UK, Europe and the USA. We will develop blood tests of biological age composed of measurements of multiple molecules using advanced statistics. Three approaches will be pursued:i) Using targeted metabolomics on over 200 molecules in approximately 35,000 people (aged 7-99 years);ii) Using untargeted metabolomics on several thousand molecules in approximately 7,000 people (aged 20-95 years). Predictive metabolites will be identified, and the new blood test will tested with newly measured data in an independent population;iii) Using metabolomic and omics data in 1,200 children (aged 6-11 years) to develop blood tests of biological development.We will then assess whether 'age acceleration', the difference between predicted age (from metabolomic and omic age blood tests) and chronological age, is predictive of cardiovascular disease and premature death in adults and associated with height, weight, and mental development in children. We will identify the key environmental and genetic causes of age acceleration and the biological pathways underlying the ageing process.