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Article History

Received: 7 November 2024

Accepted: 16 December 2025

First Online: 20 January 2026

Declarations

:

: GS obtained ethical approval from the NHS Tayside Committee on Medical Research Ethics, on behalf of the National Health Service (reference: 05/S1401/89) and has Research Tissue Bank Status (reference: 20/ES/0021). All components of STRADL received formal, national ethical approval from the NHS Tayside committee on research ethics (reference 14/SS/0039). Ethics permission for the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936) was obtained from the Multi-Centre Research Ethics Committee for Scotland (Wave 1: MREC/01/0/56), the Lothian Research Ethics Committee (Wave 1: LREC/2003/2/29), and the Scotland A Research Ethics Committee (Waves 2, 3, 4 & 5: 07/MRE00/58). Ethics permission for the Lothian Birth Cohort 1921 (LBC1921) was obtained from the Lothian Research Ethics Committee (Wave 1: LREC/1998/4/183; Wave 2: LREC/2003/7/23; Wave 3: LREC1702/98/4/183) and the Scotland A Research Ethics Committee (Wave 4: 10/S1103/6; Wave 5: 10/MRE00/87). Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the ALSPAC Ethics and Law Committee and the Local Research Ethics Committee ( ). Informed consent for the use of data collected via questionnaires and clinics was obtained from participants following the recommendations of the ALSPAC Ethics and Law Committee at the time. Consent for biological samples has been collected in accordance with the Human Tissue Act (2004).

: Not applicable.

: R.E.M. is a scientific advisor to the Epigenetic Clock Development Foundation and has received consultancy fees from Optima Partners. D.L.M is employed by Optima Partners in a part-time capacity.