Blood test to determine organ age could help predict disease risk
GuardianDec 07, 2023
According to new research published in Nature on Wednesday, a blood test can reveal "the biological age of an organ in an apparently healthy person," predict which organs might soon fail, and help doctors identify new drug targets if an organ needs attention.
The test — which the researchers claim can check the biological age of the brain, heart, liver, lung, intestine, kidney, fat, arteries, immune tissue, muscle, and pancreas — looks for specific patterns of proteins in each organ to determine if they are aging faster.
This study adds to the growing list of blood-based detection methods — which are less invasive and more accurate — to predict age-related diseases and treat people before they even get sick. Though this science may still be at an early stage, it will certainly push mankind closer to remedying significant health issues.
Though longevity has become the hottest field in the biotech industry, successfully attracting high-profile investors and public attention, there must be skepticism about its promises. Aging isn't a disease or a problem but rather a complex, natural process for which there's no solution other than maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
There's a 58% chance that there will be a culturally significant development in aging research by 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.