Scientists create a blood test to determine the life expectancy of each

A few drops of blood to estimate your life expectancy? It sounds surreal, but researchers at Yale University have identified 9 biological markers in the blood that help determine the "biological" age of the human body.

A real age different from biological age

Biological age takes into account metabolism and possible diseases. If it is higher than the actual age, it means that the person is more likely to die prematurely. Morgan Levine is part of the group of researchers behind this discovery, she explains to the British daily The Guardian : "It helps to determine how old you are from a physiological point of view. that you are 65 but physiologically you look more like a 70-year-old, your risk of death is that of someone who is 70 years old. " Among the 50-64 years old who were aging faster than their biological age, a quarter died within ten years, compared to one-fifth of the 65-84 year-olds who were aging normally.

A two-step study

Researchers first collected data from 10,000 people between 1988 and 1994 to determine what factors affect life expectancy. Then, they tested the nine biomarkers they identified for 11,000 people between 1999 and 2010. Among the indicators taken into account were the number of white blood cells, the glucose level and information on lifestyle. The results show that even if you are in good health, your physiological age may be higher than your actual age. According to their results, women tend to age more slowly than men.

Better Accompanying Patients

The results must allow physicians to accompany their patients in lifestyle changes that may slow their aging. "The main benefit is to be able to tell someone who accumulates a lot of risk to come regularly to be sure he does not develop this or that disease," said Morgan Levine. Having little education, living in an underprivileged neighborhood, being subject to chronic stress, smoking, exercising, or being obese are some of the factors of accelerated aging. Like what, when you are told that you are not your age, it may be more true than you think.