There are a set of biomarkers in the blood which could be used to estimate the disease vulnerability of elderly people. Researchers on aging from the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Aging and the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) have pinpointed them by linking basic insights from model organisms to the causes of aging in humans.
Basic investigations on the molecular basis of aging involve the study of model organisms such as worms, fruit flies or mice. However, to know what makes molecules age was not enough for The Max Planck Institute for Biology of Aging. They wanted also to know why – to know the causes and processes underlying aging-associated diseases in humans.
For this, the institute recruited Prof. Eline Slagboom from the LUMC in the Netherlands as a Max Planck Fellow in 2018. Since then, the collaboration has managed to identify a set of biomarkers in human blood which could be used in parallel in clinical studies and in aging research on model organisms.
To find these biomarkers, the scientists analyzed blood samples of 44,168 individuals (aged 18 to 109) in search of biomarkers that are indicative of a person’s remaining lifespan. From this, they arrived at a set of 14 biomarkers – ones involved with various processes such as fatty acid metabolism, fluid balance, the breakdown of glucose, and inflammation. Using their findings, they created a blood test to predict the risk of death. The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications.
Once they had zoned in on the 14 biomarkers and made the blood test, they conducted a follow-up study with the same participants, ranging from three to 17 years later (during which time over 5,500 participants died). They were looking to see if the presence of the different biomarkers was associated with the risk of mortality – which they were.
Prof. Eline Slagboom explained how the blood test is intended as a first step towards more personalized treatment for elderly, not as a final diagnosis. She said:
As researchers on aging, we are keen to determine the biological age. The calendar age just doesn’t say very much about the general state of health of elderly people: one 70-year-old is healthy, while another may already be suffering from three diseases. We now have a set of biomarkers which may help to identify vulnerable elderly people, who could subsequently be treated.
At the same time, these informative 14 biomarkers are a starting point for parallel studies in model organisms. Slagboom said:
Aging research in model organisms is ahead of that in humans. To make use of that knowledge we need instruments to compare human and animal studies and this could be one. We are currently investigating if the identified substances can be found in the blood of typical model organisms such as mice and if they are affected by interventions in aging.
The post This Blood Test Can Predict Your Risk Of Death In Next 5-10 Years appeared first on Intelligent Living.
