Healthcare (Commonwealth Union) – Our organs do not age at the same pace, and a blood test that measures their individual ageing processes could help forecast the likelihood of diseases such as lung cancer and heart disease decades in advance, according to a new study led by the University College London (UCL) researchers.
The study, published in The Lancet Digital Health, reveals that accelerated ageing in specific organs can serve as an indicator not only for conditions affecting that organ but also for diseases impacting other parts of the body.
Professor Mika Kivimaki (UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences), the study’s lead author, indicated that while our organs work together as a system, they do not necessarily age uniformly. The ageing process in certain organs can increase the risk of various age-related illnesses, highlighting the importance of maintaining overall health.
“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.
“I believe that in the future of healthcare, the prevention of age-related diseases could begin much earlier, prioritising those who would benefit most and tailoring interventions to individual risk profiles.”
A team of researchers from UCL Brain Sciences, the UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Stanford University, Inserm, and the University of Helsinki conducted an analysis using data from the British Whitehall II study. This long-term cohort study, which began in 1985, is currently overseen by Professor Mika Kivimaki.
The study examined blood samples collected in the late 1990s from more than 6,200 middle-aged individuals. The researchers assessed the biological age of nine different organs—including the heart, blood vessels, liver, immune system, pancreas, kidneys, lungs, intestines, and brain—as well as the body as a whole. By comparing each organ’s biological age to a person’s actual chronological age, they discovered that different organs could age at varying speeds within the same individual.
Participants’ health was monitored for two decades using national health records. By the conclusion of the study, they were between 65 and 89 years old, with many having developed at least one age-related disease.
The findings showed that accelerated ageing in specific organs was a strong predictor of future health risks. For example, a rapidly ageing heart was linked to a significantly higher likelihood of cardiovascular disease, while those with faster lung ageing faced an increased risk of respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer.
Unexpectedly, individuals whose immune systems aged more quickly than normal had the highest likelihood of developing dementia—rather than those whose brains exhibited signs of accelerated ageing in midlife. According to the researchers, this aligns with earlier studies showing that people who suffer from severe infections are at an elevated risk of dementia later in life. This discovery also suggests that inflammation may play a crucial role in the onset of neurodegenerative conditions.
The study also highlighted a strong connection between kidney health and other organs. Participants with faster kidney ageing were found to be at greater risk of developing vascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver disorders. Moreover, the biological ageing of nearly all organs was linked to an increased likelihood of kidney disease.
Professor Tony Wyss-Coray (Stanford University), a co-author of the study, emphasized the interdependence of organs, pointed out that organs operate in close synergy, so when one organ ages prematurely, it can negatively impact others. This could explain why individuals with one rapidly ageing organ tend to be more susceptible to multiple age-related diseases affecting different organs.
Researchers of the study pointed out that for many years, assessing blood biomarkers (health indicators) was a tedious and costly process, as each marker had to be measured separately. However, thanks to rapid technological advancements over the last decade, it is now possible to analyze thousands of proteins from just one blood sample, making the process much more efficient.
