Scientists say they can ‘predict’ age of organs through a blood test

Scientists saythey have now found a way to determine the biological age of a person’s internal organs through a blood test.

The team from Stanford University claimed that they can monitor 11 major body parts, including the heart, brain and lungs.

Their findings, published in the journal Nature, are based on a study of more than 5,000 patients.

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Through a machine-learning algorithm, they analysed more than 4,000 proteins present in the blood and madepredictions about the state of 11 different organs.

Predictions based on algorithms

According to the authors, almost 20 per cent of the population has accelerated organ ageing, which in many cases is associated with an increased risk of mortality that sits between 20 and 50 per cent.

The study further says that one to two in every 100 might have several organs that test older than their birth years.

The scientists believe that their research could help determine which organs are in rapid decline and find out any looming health issues.

Useful to find out looming disease

For example, a heart’s age that is more than a person’s biological age can increase the chances of heart failure, while a rapidly ageing brain might be more prone to dementia.

In the study, having one or more organs ageing fast was linked with a higher risk of certain diseases and death over the next 15 years.

"When we compared each of these organs' biological age for each individual with its counterparts among a large group of people without obvious severe diseases, we found that 18.4 per cent of those aged 50 or older had at least one organ aging significantly more rapidly than the average,” one of the investigators, Dr Tony Wyss-Coray, said, according to BBC.

"And we found that these individuals are at heightened risk for disease in that particular organ in the next 15 years."

The university has submitted the paperwork to patent the test, so that the methodology can be used and sold in the future

However, the team argued that more studies are needed to check the accuracy of the model at predicting organ age and health.

(With inputs from agencies)