Although we mark time with yearly birthdays—our chronological age—it doesn’t always reflect how quickly our bodies are aging biologically.
Researchers have now identified ten blood-based markers that can reveal this gap.
While several methods already exist to estimate biological age, scientists are still seeking tests that are more accurate and easier to perform. A biomarker-based blood test could meet those needs.
Decoding Biological Aging
Led by a team at University of Konstanz in Germany, the study aims to deepen our understanding of biological aging and potentially serve as an early warning system for age-related diseases.
“The biological aging process is highly complex,” says biologist Maria Moreno-Villanueva from the University of Konstanz.
“It influences every tissue and organ in the body and doesn’t stem from a single cause.
Because of this, no single biomarker can reliably determine a person’s biological age—and men and women also age differently.”
To investigate further, the researchers analyzed 362 blood-based parameters from 3,300 individuals aged 35 to 74. Using statistical models and machine learning, they narrowed these down to the 10 most significant markers, creating separate sets for men and women.
Blood Biomarkers Reveal Your Biological Age
The researchers filtered the biomarkers by comparing each one—spanning chemical, genetic, cellular, and molecular signals—against chronological age, selecting the combinations that most accurately predicted it.
This approach gave researchers a profile of what blood typically looks like at different chronological ages. When a person’s blood-based “age score” doesn’t align with their actual age, it signals either accelerated or slower biological aging.
To test how accurate these biomarkers were, the team applied their blood analysis to groups already known to age at different rates, including individuals with Down syndrome, smokers, and women undergoing hormone therapy.
The results matched expectations, correctly identifying shifts toward faster or slower biological aging—suggesting the biomarkers were being interpreted reliably.
“Given what we know about how smoking, hormone therapy, and trisomy 21 affect aging, these findings are consistent and support the validity of our bioage score,” says molecular toxicologist Alexander Bürkle from the University of Konstanz.
Another notable discovery from the study is that some of the identified biomarkers appear to actively drive biological aging, while others simply reflect it.
This distinction could give experts deeper insights into a person’s health through a blood test. Biological age serves as a valuable indicator of overall fitness and well-being, with a “younger” biological profile generally linked to better health and increased longevity.
The researchers believe the new blood test could have broad applications—not only in evaluating health but also in assessing the effectiveness of treatments aimed at preventing age-related illnesses.
As the global population continues to age, scientists are striving to ensure that longer lifespans also mean healthier lives, making a detailed understanding of biological aging—and the factors that influence it—crucial.
Read the original article on: Sciencealert
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