Health · Medical Research · 44 mins ago
Blood test links faster biological aging with disease and early death
Researchers in China developed a blood-based measure of biological aging using data from 18,476 people aged 1 to 96.
The test measured 56 chemicals in blood plasma and used them to estimate a person’s age.
A higher estimate than a person’s actual age was linked to greater health risks.
People with the fastest-aging blood readings developed fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke more often.
They also accounted for a larger share of deaths during the study’s follow-up, which ran through January 2025.
The findings show associations, not that faster aging causes these conditions or deaths.
The blood clock may add information to existing health measures, but the study does not say when or whether it will be used in routine care.
A blood test based on 56 chemical markers was associated with higher risks of several diseases and death among people whose blood appeared biologically older.
The study examined 18,476 people aged 1 to 96, with participants from six clinical centers in China.
Researchers used 12 machine-learning models to estimate age from blood chemistry and compared the estimate with each person’s actual age.
People in the quarter with the most accelerated blood chemistry had more cases of fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke.
The study was observational and showed associations, not that the blood readings or linked habits caused disease or death.
- Who
- Researchers led by Linlin Cao, Kun Qian, Jun Pu and Wei Xu of Renji Hospital at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The study included 18,476 people.
- What
- Researchers developed a blood-chemistry clock to estimate biological age. Older-than-expected readings were associated with more disease and deaths.
- When
- Participants gave blood in 2019. Health checks took place in 2023, and deaths were tracked through January 2025.
- Where
- Participants came from six clinical centers in China.
- Why
- The researchers aimed to measure differences in how quickly people’s bodies age. The sources do not state a specific reason for conducting the study.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Participants gave blood samples for the study.
3,745 healthy participants returned for a health check, and 1,500 people gave blood again.
The study’s death tracking continued through this month.
- Participants
- 18,476 people aged 1 to 96
- Blood markers
- 56 chemicals used to estimate age
- Study centers
- Six clinical centers in China
- Deaths
- 291 among 6,169 people with death records
- Blood-clock associations
- Smoking: about 1.2 years older; exercise: about half a year younger