Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41520049›Full record

ArticleCommunications medicine2026

Metabolomic sweet spot clock predicts mortality and age-related diseases in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Olga Vishnyakova, Joosung Min, Stephen Leach, Xiaowei Song, Kenneth Rockwood, Angela Brooks-Wilson, Lloyd T Elliott

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. 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

7 authors.

Olga VishnyakovaDepartment of Basic and Translational Research, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7707-4740
Joosung MinDepartment of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5541-5014
Stephen LeachDepartment of Basic and Translational Research, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Xiaowei SongDepartment of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9589-2520
Kenneth RockwoodDivision of Geriatric Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6674-995X
Angela Brooks-Wilson *Department of Basic and Translational Research, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada. abrooks-wilson@bcgsc.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1009-6408
Lloyd T Elliott *Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada. lloyd_elliott@sfu.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2187-7314

Funding

Gouvernement du Canada | Instituts de Recherche en Santé du Canada | CIHR Skin Research Training Centre (Skin Research Training Centre) # PAD 179760
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChronological age does not capture individual health or resilience. Advances in metabolomics have enabled development of molecular aging biomarkers that capture deviations between biological and chronological age, highlighting how genetics, environment, and lifestyle shape biological aging. Despite their promise, metabolomic biomarkers face challenges such as interpretability, non-linearity, and reproducibility.

methodsWe have developed a metabolomic predictor of biological age based on untargeted metabolomic profiling of individuals aged 45-85 years from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. To enhance interpretability, we first identified metabolites related to health based on variance heterogeneity. For metabolites with identifiable optimal levels, or "sweet spots", we modeled non-linearity using deviations from these values. A penalized regression model was trained on the Frailty Index using sweet spot deviations as predictors.

resultsHere we show that the Sweet Spot Clock built on 178 health-related metabolites is strongly associated with all-cause mortality (HR = 1.08, p = 5.8×10

conclusionsThe Sweet Spot Clock provides a reproducible and interpretable measure of biological age. By modeling deviations from optimal metabolite levels and training on health status rather than age, it offers a tool for understanding aging heterogeneity and identifying individuals at risk of health decline.

Identifiers

PMID41520049
PMCPMC12901296

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.