Health · Medical Research · 2 hrs ago
Blood metabolite patterns were linked to aging and mortality risk
Researchers in Shanghai developed blood-based measures of biological aging using metabolic patterns in plasma, the liquid part of blood.
They analyzed data from 18,476 people aged 1 to 96 in the Shanghai Pudong Cohort.
The measures estimated how a person's metabolite profile compared with their actual age, or how their mortality risk differed from what was expected for their age.
Higher metabolomic age acceleration was linked to greater mortality risk, even after researchers accounted for established health measures.
Smoking, some foods and family history were linked to higher age-acceleration scores, while exercise and mixed grains were linked to lower scores.
The findings suggest blood profiling could help assess health risks, but the study does not establish that the measures are ready for routine medical use.
Researchers analyzed blood metabolite patterns from 18,476 people aged 1 to 96 to study links with aging, disease and mortality risk.
The study developed metabolomic measures using plasma samples from participants in the Shanghai Pudong Cohort.
A panel of 56 age-related metabolites retained most of the age-predictive information in a set of 232 metabolite features.
Higher metabolomic age acceleration was associated with greater mortality risk, even after accounting for established health measures.
Lifestyle and family-history factors were linked to metabolomic age acceleration, while exercise and mixed-grain consumption were associated with lower values.
- Who
- Researchers studying 18,476 participants in the Shanghai Pudong Cohort.
- What
- They developed blood metabolite-based measures of aging and mortality risk.
- When
- The study was published on 2026-10-18. Baseline assessments were conducted in 2019, and mortality was tracked through January 2025.
- Where
- Across six centers in Shanghai, China.
- Why
- To investigate how metabolic patterns across the lifespan relate to health and longevity.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Baseline assessments were conducted.
Chronic disease status was reassessed, and some participants completed repeat surveys and updated assessments.
The study's mortality tracking continued through this month.
News-Medical published its report on the study.
- Participants
- 18,476 people aged 1 to 96
- Study location
- Six centers in Shanghai, China
- Age-related metabolites
- 56 in the selected panel, from 232 metabolite features
- Healthy model group
- 5,252 participants
- Validation group
- 5,456 participants
- Disease cohort
- 7,768 participants