Blood Test to Measure Organ Ageing Could Predict Disease Risk Decades in Advance

The aging of specific organs can contribute to numerous age-related diseases. As these organs function in close connection, accelerated aging in one organ can impact the functioning of others, which may explain why individuals with an organ that is aging rapidly are more likely to experience multiple age-related diseases across different organs. A new study now suggests that a blood test that measures how much each organ has aged could predict the risk of diseases such as lung cancer and heart disease decades in advance. The findings, published in The Lancet Digital Health, demonstrate how accelerated aging in certain organs can predict not only the diseases that affect that organ but also those that could affect other parts of the body.

The research team, led by scientists from University College London (London, UK), analyzed data from the British Whitehall II study, a longitudinal cohort study that has been tracking participants since 1985. The study involved analyzing blood samples collected in the late 1990s from more than 6,200 middle-aged adults to assess the biological age of nine organs: the heart, blood vessels, liver, immune system, pancreas, kidneys, lungs, intestines, and the brain, as well as the entire body. The researchers compared the participants' chronological age to the biological age of each organ, determined by age-specific markers, and found that different organs within the same person often aged at different rates.

The participants' health was monitored for 20 years through national health registries. By the end of the follow-up period, the participants, now aged 65–89, had been diagnosed with at least one of the age-related diseases studied. The follow-up data showed that accelerated aging in specific organs predicted the risk of 30 different diseases over the next two decades in individuals who were initially healthy. For instance, a rapidly aging heart predicted a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, while those with accelerated lung aging were more likely to develop respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer. Interestingly, the highest risk of dementia was found in people whose immune system had aged more quickly than usual, rather than in those whose brains showed faster aging in midlife. This result supports earlier studies indicating that individuals vulnerable to severe infections are also at greater risk for dementia later in life. It also suggests that inflammatory processes may play a crucial role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

The researchers also discovered that kidney health was closely linked to other organs. Individuals with accelerated kidney aging were more likely to develop vascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver diseases, while aging in nearly all organs predicted an increased risk of kidney disease. In the past, blood biomarkers (measurable health indicators) were assessed individually, making the process expensive and inefficient, particularly when analyzing multiple markers. However, in the last decade, technological advancements have allowed for the simultaneous measurement of thousands of proteins from a single blood sample. These blood protein concentrations fluctuate in response to various factors such as lifestyle, environmental influences, diseases, and medications. Consequently, new proteomic (protein-based) analyses offer valuable insights for monitoring the pace of aging. The researchers believe that their findings support a shift toward more personalized and effective disease prevention in healthcare. By using proteomic signatures to assess organ aging, the risk of age-related diseases can be detected earlier, enabling targeted preventive measures and interventions tailored to each individual’s unique risk profile.

“We found that a quick and easy blood test can identify whether a specific organ is ageing faster than expected. In years to come, blood tests like this could play a crucial role in preventing numerous diseases,” said lead author Professor Mika Kivimaki from the UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences. “I believe that in the future of healthcare, the prevention of age-related diseases could begin much earlier, prioritizing those who would benefit most and tailoring interventions to individual risk profiles.”