4th Edition 2026

Biological Aging Predicts Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Mortality Rates

Published on: May 08, 2025

Biological ageing refers to the progressive decline in cells and tissues that begins early in adulthood, affecting bodily functions and increasing the risk of disease and mortality. The pace of this ageing process varies across individuals and is shaped by genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors.

In this study, researchers assessed biological ageing using two key indicators: the frailty index, which captures the accumulation of health deficits across body systems, and telomere length, a marker of cellular ageing. These were compared with traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk tools—SCORE2, SCORE2-OP, and the Framingham risk score—which consider chronological age, sex, and lifestyle factors, but not biological ageing.

Postdoctoral Researcher Anna Tirkkonen (University of Jyväskylä) and Senior Research Fellow Laura Kananen (Tampere University & Karolinska Institutet) highlighted key findings:

Our study showed that the frailty index is a useful tool for evaluating cardiovascular disease risk, said Tirkkonen. This was evident in three cohorts from Finland and Sweden, covering over 14,000 individuals without prior cardiovascular disease, including those aged both above and below 70.

We also found that the frailty index alone could accurately predict a person’s 10-year risk of developing CVD.

Interestingly, telomere length showed a weaker association with cardiovascular risk, suggesting it may be less reliable for this purpose.

The researchers believe this is the first study to examine biological age alongside SCORE2 and SCORE2-OP using the frailty index. Only one earlier study had combined the frailty index with the Framingham risk score, and the current findings align with those results.

They argue that biological age should be integrated into cardiovascular risk assessments.

The frailty index, which reflects cumulative age-related deficits and gives a comprehensive view of health and function, appears to be particularly effective, said Kananen. It’s also easy to implement—derivable from a simple questionnaire.

Source: https://www.jyu.fi/en/news/biological-age-predicts-cardiovascular-disease-morbidity-and-mortality

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