Accelerated epigenetic ageing in congenital heart disease: the AccelerAGE study
Authors' conclusion
Accelerated epigenetic ageing is observed in adults with moderate and complex congenital heart disease, while individuals with simple disease show ageing patterns comparable to healthy peers.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with congenital heart disease, age 29–50 years120 patients · 120 controls
- Participants
- 120 / 40 / 40 / 40
- Comparison
- Adults with congenital heart disease vs healthy controls
- Healthy controlsn = 120reference
- Simplen = 40
- Moderaten = 40
- Complexn = 40
- Outcome
- Epigenetic age acceleration (Horvath, Hannum, Zhang, GrimAge2, PhenoAge clocks) and pace of ageing (DunedinPACE)
Methodological detailsage- and sex-matched
- Age- and sex-matched
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Epigenetic age acceleration vs healthy controls
- Moderate
- PhenoAge age acceleration +3.0 years; P = 0.019
- Complex
- PhenoAge age acceleration +5.5 years; P < 0.001
- Moderate
- GrimAge2 age acceleration +2.1 years; P = 0.045
- Complex
- GrimAge2 age acceleration +2.3 years; P = 0.022
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Accelerated epigenetic ageing in congenital heart disease: the AccelerAGE study. Eur Heart J. Published 11 June 2026. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it