New Blood Test Could Predict Risk of Major Diseases Decades in Advance

A simple blood test may soon be able to predict a person’s risk of developing major diseases such as cancer or dementia by identifying how different organs are ageing at varying rates, according to a new study.

*Groundbreaking Research*

Researchers from University College London (UCL) have discovered that accelerated ageing in specific organs can predict the risk of 30 different diseases over a 20-year period in people initially regarded as healthy. The study shows that a single blood test could not only detect potential future problems related to specific organs but also how these issues might impact other parts of the body.

For instance, a heart that ages more rapidly can significantly increase the risk of heart diseases, while accelerated lung ageing is linked to a higher likelihood of respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer in later years.

*Unexpected Findings*

In an unexpected twist, the study found that the highest risk of dementia was associated with individuals whose immune systems aged faster than usual, rather than those whose brains aged more rapidly in midlife. This supports earlier research indicating that individuals prone to severe infections are at higher risk for dementia later in life. The findings also suggest that inflammatory processes may play a crucial role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

*Organ Interconnectedness*

The study also revealed that kidney health is interconnected with other organs. People with accelerated kidney ageing are more likely to develop vascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver diseases later. Moreover, biological ageing of nearly all organs predicted an increased risk of kidney disease.

*Study Details*

The findings were published in the journal Lancet Digital Health. Lead author Professor Mika Kivimaki from UCL’s Faculty of Brain Sciences stated, “Our organs function as an integrated system, but they can age at different rates. Ageing in particular organs can contribute to numerous ageing-related diseases, so it’s important for us to take care of all aspects of our health.”

*Research Methodology*

The research team, which included experts from UCL, Stanford University, and the University of Helsinki, analyzed blood plasma samples from 6,235 people aged 45 to 69 as part of the British Whitehall II study. They determined the biological age of nine organs (heart, blood vessels, liver, immune system, pancreas, kidneys, lungs, intestines, and brain) and the entire body, measuring the gap between a person’s chronological age and the biological age of each organ.

After 20 years, many participants, aged 65 to 89, had been diagnosed with at least one of the ageing-related diseases under study. The researchers observed that accelerated ageing in one organ often impaired the function of other organs, explaining why individuals with rapidly ageing organs are prone to multiple age-related diseases.

*Proteomic Test and Future Implications*

Advances in technology now enable the measurement of thousands of proteins simultaneously from a single blood sample, known as a proteomic test. Prof Kivimaki expressed hope that these findings could contribute to new ways of helping people stay healthy for longer as they age. “Blood tests may advise whether a person needs to take better care of a particular organ and potentially provide an early-warning signal that they may be at risk of a particular disease,” he said.

The study was supported by Wellcome, the Medical Research Council, the US National Institutes of Health, and the Research Council of Finland.