We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
PURITAN MEDICAL

Download Mobile App




New RNA-Based Measure Predicts Mortality Risk and Tracks Aging

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 30 Jul 2025

Aging is a complex biological process that affects multiple systems in the body and increases the risk of disease and death. More...

Scientists have long sought accurate ways to measure biological aging, which can help assess individual health risks and guide interventions. Traditional measures like DNA methylation and blood biomarkers have limitations. RNA, which reflects real-time gene activity, offers another path, but existing RNA-based aging tools often rely on small or non-representative datasets. Accurate, flexible, and scalable tools that can track biological aging across diverse populations remain in high demand. Now, researchers have developed a new solution that uses RNA to predict a person’s risk of dying and detect changes in their biological age as their health evolves.

The RNA-based aging tool, called Transcriptomic Mortality-risk Age (TraMA), was developed by researchers from the University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA, USA) by analyzing RNA sequencing data from nearly 4,000 U.S. adults aged 50 and older. TraMA estimates biological aging based on gene expression profiles and was developed using modern sequencing technology and a nationally representative dataset. Unlike previous RNA-based aging measures, TraMA offers greater reliability and captures key biological changes associated with inflammation, immune function, and kidney and brain health. The tool is also responsive to behavioral and socioeconomic factors, with older TraMA scores linked to smoking, obesity, and low physical activity. It can track biological aging over time, offering insight into how lifestyle and health influence gene expression patterns.

TraMA was validated using data from the Long-Life Family Study and multiple publicly available datasets involving patients with diabetes, sepsis, and cancer. The findings, published in Aging (Aging-US), showed that TraMA is a strong and independent predictor of early death, multiple chronic diseases, poor cognitive function, and difficulties with daily activities. It outperformed well-known biological aging measures like GrimAge and PhenoAge by capturing distinct and complementary aspects of aging. TraMA also proved effective across different populations and sample sizes, including both large-scale surveys and small clinical cohorts. Going forward, researchers hope to use TraMA to enable more precise investigations into the interplay between genes, environment, and health outcomes, ultimately helping extend human lifespan.

“TraMA is likely to be of particular value to researchers interested in understanding the biological processes underlying health and aging, and for social, psychological, epidemiological, and demographic studies of health and aging,” said Eric T. Klopack, lead author of the TraMA study.


New
Gold Member
Quality Control Material
iPLEX Pro Exome QC Panel
3-Part Differential Hematology Analyzer
Swelab Alfa Plus Sampler
New
Rapid Molecular Testing Device
FlashDetect Flash10
New
ESR Analyzer
TEST1 2.0
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








DIASOURCE (A Biovendor Company)

Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: The microfluidic device for passive separation of platelet-rich plasma from whole blood (Photo courtesy of University of the Basque Country)

Portable and Disposable Device Obtains Platelet-Rich Plasma Without Complex Equipment

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) plays a crucial role in regenerative medicine due to its ability to accelerate healing and repair tissue. However, obtaining PRP traditionally requires expensive centrifugation... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The 3D paper-based analytical device has shown high clinical accuracy for adult-onset immunodeficiency (Photo courtesy of National Taiwan University)

Paper-Based Device Accurately Detects Immune Defects in 10 Minutes

Patients with hidden immune defects are especially vulnerable to severe and persistent infections, often due to autoantibodies that block interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), a key molecule in immune defense.... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: Researchers have developed a novel method to analyze tumor growth rates (Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock)

Novel Method To Analyze Tumor Growth Rates Helps Tracks Progression Between Diagnosis and Surgery

Patients diagnosed with breast cancer often worry about how quickly their tumors grow while they wait for surgery, and whether delays in treatment might allow the disease to spread beyond the point of cure.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.