The University of Pittsburgh, a renowned institution in the field of ageing research, has achieved a significant milestone. Their researchers have successfully identified blood markers that correspond with an individual’s health and ageing rate. This breakthrough allows for the estimation of a person’s biological age, a measure that reflects the ageing rate of their cells and organs, independent of their actual birthdate.
Published in the esteemed journal Aging Cell, this groundbreaking study sheds light on the biological pathways and compounds that influence ageing rates and paves the way for potential treatments. By understanding the diverse aging processes among individuals, this research proposes new avenues for interventions aimed at slowing down aging and improving the quality of life in old age.
Aditi Gurkar, Ph. D., the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of geriatric medicine at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine, emphasizes that age should be seen as more than just a number. She illustrates this by comparing two 65-year-olds, one physically active and the other struggling with basic mobility despite having the same chronological age. This disparity in ageing has been the driving force behind Gurkar’s research.
To investigate the variations in aging rates, the lead author, Aditi Gurkar, Ph.D., and her team conducted a comprehensive study. They examined 196 older adults, categorizing them as either healthy or rapid agers based on their performance in simple walking tasks. These tasks, which are indicative of overall health, encompass cardiovascular fitness, physical strength, and neurological condition. Importantly, the study focused on differentiating between biological and chronological aging by selecting rapid agers who were chronologically younger than the healthy agers.
Employing metabolomics, the analysis of metabolites produced by the body’s chemical reactions, the researchers could sketch a molecular blueprint of biological ageing from the participants’ blood samples. Unlike genetic studies, metabolomics offers a dynamic view of ageing since metabolites can change based on lifestyle, diet, and environmental factors, providing a real-time snapshot of one’s health.
The study identified a set of 25 metabolites, termed the Healthy Aging Metabolic (HAM) Index, which could effectively differentiate between healthy and rapid agers. This index proved more accurate than traditional ageing metrics in distinguishing between groups. To further validate their findings, the team applied the HAM Index to an independent group of older adults from Wisconsin, confirming its efficacy in predicting healthy ageing with a significant accuracy rate.
Moreover, the researchers utilized artificial intelligence to pinpoint three key metabolites likely to influence the ageing process significantly. Future studies will explore these metabolites and the molecular pathways they activate, seeking strategies to mitigate rapid ageing.
Gurkar is also planning further research to monitor how the metabolome evolves in younger individuals. The ultimate goal is to develop a blood test that could predict biological age in younger adults, potentially enabling early lifestyle interventions to reverse or slow the ageing process.
This research underscores a paradigm shift towards preventative medicine, focusing on early detection and personalized interventions to delay the onset of age-related diseases and extend the period of good health. Gurkar envisions a future where understanding an individual’s biological ageing process becomes a cornerstone of medical care, emphasizing the importance of prevention in managing the ageing process.
More information: Shruthi Hamsanathan et al, A molecular index for biological age identified from the metabolome and senescence-associated secretome in humans, Aging Cell. DOI: 10.1111/acel.14104
Journal information: Aging Cell Provided by University of Pittsburgh
