How do you feel about a blood test which can predict your death?

There is one in the making which can give you clues about your mortality

Blood tests are perhaps the most commonly conducted medical tests. It is the first line of action that your doctor suggests if you end up going there for some health concerns. Most of the medical labs these days are well equipped to conduct these tests. And blood tests are pretty good at identifying different ailments that one might be experiencing.

But now a group of European researchers has earmarked a new study published in the scientific journal Nature Communications. The study entails looking at different biomarkers in human blood to predict how much longer can a particular person live.

This large scale international study was led by researchers from Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) in collaboration with biobanks, BBMRI-NL (Biobanking and BioMolecular resources Research Infrastructure the Netherlands) and the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing.

Key statistics of the study were as follows:

Blood samples of 44,168 people aged between 18–109 were analyzed.

5,512 people died during the study which lasted 16–17 years.

A total of 226 biomarkers were studied to see which ones could predict the death of a person in the next 5–10 years.

A thorough investigation revealed that only 14 of these biomarkers were eventually required to determine the mortality rate.

Using these 14 biomarkers researchers analyzed the blood samples of 7,603 Finnish people taken in 1997 to predict their likelihood of dying in the next 5–10 years.

Astonishingly their predictions of mortality were correct 83% of the time, a huge achievement for a study at this level.

These biomarkers or so-called metabolites included various amino acids, good & bad cholesterol, inflammation & fluid balance, etc. The narrowed down the list of 14 biomarkers along with the person’s sex provided a pretty accurate picture of the risk of them dying in the next 5–10 years.

The study found that even after taking other factors into account like age, sex, and cause of death, the relationship between the 14 biomarkers and their predictability rate of the mortality remained high.

Researchers feel that although the test is not yet ready to be prescribed to patients by the doctors, it has certainly laid the foundation for a test that can predict a person's mortality risk, down the road. This can help in the treatment of elderly patients who are at risk. Eventually, the blood test can also be used for screening other patients as well, to advise them of proper treatment options before they acquire a certain disease which puts them at risk of losing their life.

Major advances in healthcare coupled with technology are increasing the lifespans of the population and new medical research increasingly treats aging as more for a disease than a natural process. While death is inevitable, everyone should have access to such healthcare which enables them to live healthier, happier lives. Living Longer… I am not sure.