A British study suggests that accelerated aging is linked to disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
A study led by University College London (UCL) revealed that human organs age at different rates and that their biological age can predict the risk of future disease.
The research, published in The Lancet Digital Health, used data from the British Whitehall II study, which has followed more than 10,000 adults since 1985.
How the study was conducted
The team of scientists analyzed blood samples taken between 1997 and 1999 from more than 6,200 people between the ages of 45 and 69, according to The Washington Post. Using this information, they measured the biological age of nine organs:
Heart
Blood vessels
Liver
Pancreas
Kidneys
Lungs
Intestines
Brain
Immune system
Then, they tracked the participants' health status for 20 years, until they reached ages 65 to 89, to identify which diseases they developed.
Organs that age faster, higher disease risk
The analysis showed that some people had organs that aged at an accelerated rate compared to their chronological age.
Those with accelerated organ aging had a significantly higher risk of developing 30 of the 45 age-related diseases included in the study.
In some cases, the relationship was clear: for example, those with faster-aging lungs had a higher risk of respiratory diseases, such as COPD and lung cancer. The same was true for heart and cardiovascular disease.
However, the researchers also found unexpected connections. For example, dementia was not more associated with brain aging, but with the aging of the immune system.
This finding suggests that inflammatory processes may play a key role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, the scientists reported in a statement released by EurekAlert.
The Connection Between Organs and Diseases
One of the most surprising findings was the relationship between kidney aging and other diseases. People whose kidneys aged more rapidly had a higher risk of liver disease, type 2 diabetes, and vascular problems.
This reinforces the idea that the body works as a whole, and that the deterioration of one organ can affect others. According to the researchers, this phenomenon may explain why some people develop multiple age-related diseases at the same time.
“Our organs function as an integrated system, but they can age at different rates. The aging of certain organs can contribute to numerous age-related diseases, so it is important that we take care of all aspects of our health,” explained Mika Kivimaki, a professor in the UCL School of Brain Sciences and senior author of the study.
The Potential of Blood Tests in Preventive Medicine
One of the most promising advances of the study is the use of proteomic analysis, which allows multiple biomarkers to be measured from a single blood sample.
Until a few years ago, these biomarkers were analyzed individually, making the process more costly and inefficient. Now, with new technologies, thousands of proteins can be measured simultaneously, providing more detailed information about organ health.
Researchers believe this type of analysis could be key in the prevention of chronic diseases. In the future, doctors could use these tests to identify which organs require more attention before symptoms appear.
"We hope our findings will contribute to new ways to help people stay healthy longer as they age," Kivimaki said in the statement.
While more research is still needed to perfect these tests, experts believe they could become an essential tool in preventive medicine in the coming years.
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