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Different effects of cardiometabolic syndrome on brain age in relation to gender and ethnicity

Abstract:
Background
A growing body of evidence shows differences in the prevalence of cardiometabolic syndrome (CMS) and dementia based on gender and ethnicity. However, there is a paucity of information about ethnic- and gender-specific CMS effects on brain age. We investigated the different effects of CMS on brain age by gender in Korean and British cognitively unimpaired (CU) populations. We also determined whether the gender-specific difference in the effects of CMS on brain age changes depending on ethnicity.
Methods
These analyses used de-identified, cross-sectional data on CU populations from Korea and United Kingdom (UK) that underwent brain MRI. After propensity score matching to balance the age and gender between the Korean and UK populations, 5759 Korean individuals (3042 males and 2717 females) and 9903 individuals from the UK (4736 males and 5167 females) were included in this study. Brain age index (BAI), calculated by the difference between the predicted brain age by the algorithm and the chronological age, was considered as main outcome and presence of CMS, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, obesity, and underweight was considered as a predictor. Gender (males and females) and ethnicity (Korean and UK) were considered as effect modifiers.
Results
The presence of T2DM and hypertension was associated with a higher BAI regardless of gender and ethnicity (p < 0.001), except for hypertension in Korean males (p = 0.309). Among Koreans, there were interaction effects of gender and the presence of T2DM (p for T2DM*gender = 0.035) and hypertension (p for hypertension*gender = 0.046) on BAI in Koreans, suggesting that T2DM and hypertension are each associated with a higher BAI in females than in males. In contrast, among individuals from the UK, there were no differences in the effects of T2DM (p for T2DM*gender = 0.098) and hypertension (p for hypertension*gender = 0.203) on BAI between males and females.
Conclusions
Our results highlight gender and ethnic differences as important factors in mediating the effects of CMS on brain age. Furthermore, these results suggest that ethnic- and gender-specific prevention strategies may be needed to protect against accelerated brain aging.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1186/s13195-023-01215-8

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Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-2481-0302


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Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/05a15z872
Grant:
SMX1230081
Programme:
Future Medicine 20*30 Project
More from this funder
Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/013aysd81
Grant:
2022R1I1A1A01056956
Programme:
Basic Science Research Program
More from this funder
Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/047dqcg40
Grant:
K2210201
More from this funder
Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/03x94j517
Grant:
MR/T033371/1
More from this funder
Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/01wpjm123
Grant:
HU20C0111, HU22C0170


Publisher:
BioMed Central
Journal:
Alzheimer's Research and Therapy More from this journal
Volume:
15
Issue:
1
Article number:
68
Place of publication:
England
Publication date:
2023-03-30
Acceptance date:
2023-03-20
DOI:
EISSN:
1758-9193
Pmid:
36998058


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1336431
Local pid:
pubs:1336431
Deposit date:
2025-06-25
ARK identifier:

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