Predicting Lifespan: Might a Blood Test Offer Insights into Your Aging Process?
Intrinsic capacity, the sum of a person's mental and physical abilities, is a crucial aspect of aging. Maintaining this capacity is essential for healthy aging, but assessing it has traditionally been a costly, time-consuming process. Recent research, however, has developed a method to evaluate intrinsic capacity from a single drop of blood or saliva sample.
This novel assessment, known as DNAm IC, uses DNA methylation patterns to offer insights into a person's functional age compared to their chronological age. One of its key advantages is that it can be carried out with a simple, non-invasive blood or saliva sample.
The study, published in a renowned journal, suggests that DNAm IC could serve as a useful tool for tracking aging and guiding targeted interventions to maintain mental and physical function as people age.
Dr. Thomas M. Holland, a physician-scientist and assistant professor at the RUSH Institute for Healthy Aging, discusses the DNAm IC test: "This test using DNA methylation patterns to estimate your IC biologically is a very promising tool in aging science... It tells us not just how old you are, but how well you are aging, which is much more meaningful to help inform which interventions should be implemented, if any, to help prevent future health problems."
Registered Nutritional Therapist and Functional Medicine Practitioner, Elena Rolt, also welcomes the findings, stating, "The DNAm IC test shows significant potential as a practical measure of biological aging... Unlike traditional epigenetic clock-based tests, it also captures functional aging more directly." She adds, "It may be particularly relevant for personalized aging interventions and preventive strategies."
Researchers used data from 1,014 participants aged between 20 and 102 years, evaluating five aspects of age-related decline, including cognition, locomotion, sensory (vision and hearing), psychological, and vitality. They found that DNAm IC was strongly associated with overall health, with people having a high DNAm IC living, on average, 5.5 years longer than those with a low DNAm IC.
Diet and lifestyle choices are significant factors that can influence DNAm IC. Individuals who consume a high intake of oily fish and maintain sugar intake within recommended guidelines are more likely to have a high DNAm IC. Conversely, excessive sugar intake can impair intrinsic capacity by accelerating processes such as glycation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation.
Experts like Tunç Tiryaki, board-certified plastic surgeon, recommend following a healthy diet like the Mediterranean or MIND diet, regular physical activity, cognitive and social engagement, and stress and disease management to ensure healthy aging.
In conclusion, the DNAm IC test offers a powerful, accessible, and non-invasive tool for predicting mortality, tracking aging, and guiding personalized interventions for healthy aging. While further validation is needed, particularly in older adults with low intrinsic capacity, the DNAm IC test presents significant potential in geriatrics, longevity medicine, and precision public health.
- The DNAm IC test, utilizing DNA methylation patterns, presents a promising tool in aging science, offering insights into a person's functional age compared to their chronological age, and potentially serving as a useful tool for tracking aging and guiding targeted interventions to maintain mental and physical functions.
- Diet and lifestyle choices are significant factors that can influence DNAm IC. Individuals who consume a high intake of oily fish and maintain sugar intake within recommended guidelines are more likely to have a high DNAm IC, while excessive sugar intake can impair intrinsic capacity.
- Experts, such as Tunç Tiryaki, recommend following a healthy diet like the Mediterranean or MIND diet, regular physical activity, cognitive and social engagement, and stress and disease management to ensure healthy aging, as these factors can contribute to a higher DNAm IC and longer life expectancy.
