Abstract: Our brains age quietly, often long before we notice a missed name or a slower recall. But a new study using UK Biobank and Framingham Heart Study data suggests something remarkable: your blood may already know. Researchers analyzed proteins from over 53,000 participants and used machine-learning models to calculate a “plasma-based brain age.” Unlike conventional biological age, this brain-age score revealed a clear pattern, when it accelerated, cognitive performance dipped. Attention, memory, and processing speed all felt the impact, years before diseases like Alzheimer’s made their appearance.
What’s striking is how strongly this blood-based brain age predicted future Alzheimer’s and stroke risk, far more than traditional proteomic age markers. The idea is elegant: instead of invasive scans or expensive imaging, a simple blood test could one day help us understand how quickly (or gently) our brain is aging. It’s a glimpse into a future where cognitive health can be monitored early, giving people time to prepare, intervene, and change their health trajectory. With large-scale biobank resources powering such breakthroughs, the path toward early detection and maybe early protection feels closer than ever.
Click here to know more about this study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43856-025-01268-w