Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 26: A groundbreaking blood test developed by an international team of researchers could revolutionize the way we predict and prevent age-related diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease, and dementia. This innovative test measures the biological age of various organs in the human body, offering a personalized approach to identifying potential health risks long before symptoms appear.
The team, which includes scientists from the UK, France, and the US, designed the test to detect organs that are ageing faster than expected. Their research, which draws on 20 years of follow-up data, highlights how accelerated ageing in certain organs is linked to increased risks of specific conditions, while also indicating that faster organ ageing can affect the health of the entire body.
Key findings from the study revealed that accelerated ageing of the heart was a strong indicator of future cardiovascular diseases. Similarly, rapid ageing of the lungs increased the likelihood of respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer. An accelerated immune system ageing was associated with a higher risk of dementia, while faster kidney ageing predicted greater vulnerability to vascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver diseases.
The study, published in The Lancet Digital Health, emphasizes how organ-specific ageing can provide valuable insight not only into diseases directly affecting those organs but also into conditions that may manifest in other parts of the body.
Professor Mika Kivimaki, lead author of the study from the University College London (UCL) Faculty of Brain Sciences, explained, "Our organs function as an integrated system, but they age at different rates. Accelerated ageing in certain organs can contribute to a variety of age-related diseases, which makes it crucial to care for all aspects of our health."
Professor Kivimaki further added, "In the future, we envision a health care system where age-related diseases are prevented much earlier by targeting individuals who are most at risk, tailoring interventions to each person’s unique biological age and risk profile."
The research team, which included experts from Stanford University (US), Inserm (France), and the University of Helsinki (Finland), analysed blood samples from over 6,200 middle-aged adults collected in the late 1990s. They assessed the biological age of nine organs—heart, blood vessels, liver, immune system, pancreas, kidneys, lungs, intestines, and brain—as well as the overall body. By measuring the difference between a person’s chronological age and their organs' biological age, the researchers discovered that organs often age at varying rates within the same individual.
Participants' health was monitored for two decades, with many being diagnosed with at least one of the studied age-related diseases by the time they reached 65-89 years.
The team hopes their findings will pave the way for new strategies to help people maintain better health as they age. Professor Kivimaki concluded, "This blood test could serve as an early-warning signal, advising individuals to take better care of specific organs and helping identify those at risk of developing particular diseases."