Evidence mapPaperPMID 39349737Full record

ArticleGeroScience2025

A biological age based on common clinical markers predicts health trajectory and mortality risk in dogs.

Sébastien Herzig, Alix Zollinger, Lorane Texari, James A Holzwarth, Rondo P Middleton, Yuanlong Pan, Pascal Steiner, Philipp Gut

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in GeroScience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Sébastien HerzigNestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland. sebastien.herzig@rd.nestle.com.ORCID 0000-0002-9329-2860
Alix ZollingerNestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Lorane TexariNestlé Institute of Food Safety and Analytical Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland.
James A HolzwarthNestlé Institute of Food Safety and Analytical Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Rondo P MiddletonNestlé Research, St. Louis, MO, 63164, USA.
Yuanlong PanNestlé Research, St. Louis, MO, 63164, USA.
Pascal SteinerNestlé Research, St. Louis, MO, 63164, USA.
Philipp GutNestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland. philipp.gut@rd.nestle.com.ORCID 0000-0002-0689-9518

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Predicting aging trajectories through biomarkers of biological aging can guide interventions that optimize healthy lifespan in humans and companion animals. Differences in physiology, genetics, nutrition, and lifestyle limit the generalization of such biomarkers and may therefore require species-specific algorithms. Here, we compared correlations of standard clinical blood parameters with survival probability in humans with those of the two most common mammalian companion animals, cats and dogs, and highlighted universal and species-specific relationships. Based on this comparative analysis, we generated and validated an algorithm that predicts biological age in canines using a longitudinal dataset with health records, blood count, and clinical chemistry from 829 dogs spanning over 12 years. Positive deviations of biological from chronological age (AgeDev) measured by this composite score significantly correlated with a decreased survival probability (hazard ratio = 1.75 per 1 year of AgeDev, p = 3.7e - 06). Importantly, in nearly half of the dogs whose biological age was accelerated by more than 1 year, none or only a single individual marker scored outside its respective reference range, suggesting practical applications for the detection of unfavorable health trajectories. Analyzing samples from a unique 14-year life-long diet restriction study, we show that restricted caloric intake lowers biological age, an effect that can be quantified at midlife years before a difference in survival is observed. Thus, a biological age clock based on clinical blood tests predicts the health trajectories of dogs for use in research and veterinary practice.

Indexed as

AgingAlgorithmsAnimalsBiomarkersCaloric RestrictionCatsDogsFemaleHumansLongevityMaleBiomarkersBiological ageBiomarkers of agingCalorie restrictionCompanion animalsComparative biologyVeterinary care

Identifiers

PMID39349737
PMCPMC11872834

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.