Biomarkers · Aging & Senescence

Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number

Higher values go with lower risk of death. Not measured in our NHANES panel. The curve is drawn from the published study (source below).

Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number and risk of death

Published curve higher than the NHANES fitNHANES fit higher

Risk of death relative to the curve's reference value, drawn from the published study (source below).

Published risk of death1.47×lowest quintile of mtDNA copy number relative to the highest quintile (95% CI 1.33–1.62) · Race-stratified meta-analysis of CHS and ARIC community-based cohorts, white and black US adults (n=16,401)

What else moves this marker

They describe those study groups, not an individual, and an association is not a cause.

Diseases and conditions

Each row is one study: what it compared and the change it reported in this marker.
What	Effect on the marker	Comparison · population	Source
↓ Cardiovascular disease · normalized circulating mtDNA copy number in CVD vs controls	SMD -0.36 (95% CI -0.65 to -0.08)	CVD vs controls · 8252 cases and 20904 controls, 5 articles	meta analysis · PMID 30403687
↑ Gulf War Illness · blood mtDNA content in veterans with vs without GWI	+9%	GWI (n=80) vs no GWI (n=34), Gulf War veterans · Gulf War veterans (Kansas definition of GWI)	case control · PMID 37910447

Genetic predisposition

Each row is one study: what it compared and the change it reported in this marker.
What	Effect on the marker	Comparison · population	Source
↕ Polygenic 'mitoscore' (all known mtDNAcn SNPs) · variation in mtDNA copy number explained by polygenic score	+1.11%	variance explained · ESTHER prospective cohort (replication UK Biobank n=295,150)	gwas · PMID 34964454

Sources

Risk curve: Ashar FN 2015 (PMID 25471480): all-cause HR 1.47 (1.33-1.62) lowest quintile of mtDNA copy number relative to the highest quintile. Scaled to published population values.
Ashar FN, Moes A, Moore AZ, et al. Association of mitochondrial DNA levels with frailty and all-cause mortality. Journal of Molecular Medicine (Berlin). 2015;93(2):177-186.

Map Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number against another biomarker.

Map Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number against another marker