Data from: Blood biomarkers and breed genetics of aging in pet dogs

Aging trajectories vary widely among individuals, yet how genetic
variation shapes lifespan remains poorly understood. Pet dogs share
human-like environments while aging on a compressed timescale, making them
a powerful translational model. Using genomic and phenotypic data from
7,627 dogs in the Dog Aging Project, including 976 profiled for 159 blood
metabolites and clinical analytes, we generated the first genome-wide
association study (GWAS) catalog in dogs. Most blood traits map to
orthologous loci in dogs and humans, indicating conserved pathways. Breed
explains substantial variance in blood traits, and selection on visible
characteristics, such as fur type, has pleiotropic metabolic effects.
Leveraging mosaic ancestry in mixed-breed dogs and longitudinal mortality
data, we identify blood traits elevated in short-lived breeds that predict
mortality risk, including globulin and potassium, and protective traits
enriched in long-lived breeds, such as ethanolamine. Although some
aging-associated traits relate to growth hormone pathways, many do not,
indicating that aging in dogs is multifactorial. Pet dogs uniquely combine
genetic and environmental advantages for identifying blood-based
biomarkers of aging and testing interventions.