Publications by Zewen Du

Publications by authors named "Zewen Du"

Am J Epidemiol

October 2024

- The study investigates the relationship between chronic stress and white matter brain age (WM BAG), a measure linked to dementia risk, using data from nearly 23,000 individuals in the UK Biobank.
- Researchers used a composite allostatic load (AL) index to assess cumulative stress and found that an increase in AL score was associated with an increase in WM BAG, indicating accelerated brain aging.
- The results suggest that managing chronic stress may be important for reducing the risk of dementia and neurodegenerative disorders, particularly in individuals aged 45-64, regardless of sex.

medRxiv

May 2024

This study explored the link between chronic stress and white matter (WM) brain age, which predicts risks for dementia and neurodegenerative disorders.
Researchers assessed cumulative stress using an allostatic load (AL) index and analyzed data from nearly 23,000 participants aged 40 to 69 from the UK Biobank.
Findings showed that higher stress levels were associated with an increase in WM brain age, supporting the idea that managing stress could help reduce the risk of cognitive decline.

- Zewen Du's recent research focuses on the relationship between allostatic load (AL) and white matter brain aging, utilizing data from the UK Biobank to examine the impacts of chronic stress on brain health.
- The studies reveal that AL, a multi-system index incorporating various health metrics (inflammatory, anthropometric, respiratory, lipidemia, and glucose metabolism measures), is significantly related to the white matter brain age gap, suggesting that cumulative stress may accelerate brain aging.
- By employing diffusion tensor imaging and machine learning models, Du's research underscores the importance of neuroimaging-derived biomarkers in predicting dementia and neurodegenerative disorders among diverse populations aged 40 to 69.