Blood Test Shows Aging of Organs
By Gina Michiko Craig
If a simple blood test could show how your internal organs are aging, would you want to know which of your organs are showing signs of trouble? Diagnostic testing continues to advance and improve, and access to this diagnostics information could soon be a reality if further research proves to be successful. A recent study revealed information that could assist healthcare professionals in providing vital care sooner for patients with a rapidly aging organ.
Research Study on Aging of Organs
Researchers at Stanford University and Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center recently revealed a study that could shed some light on the potential for organ function aging and predicting health issues. In the study, researchers analyzed blood plasma to gauge the aging of the major body organs in comparison to patients’ actual chronologic ages, which mostly fell in the age range of middle-aged to older adults.
The research included analysis of proteins in blood samples and patient data, which was put into a machine-learning algorithm by the investigators to make predictions. The study contained a wide array of body organs – including the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, brain, intestines, pancreas, muscles, fat, blood vessels, and immune tissue in thousands of patients. After investigating the compiled data, the researchers determined that 18.4 percent of patients ages 50 or older had a minimum of one organ that was aging at a significantly faster rate than the average. Study investigator Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray also stated that the outlook for the patients’ subsequent years didn’t paint a rosy outlook ahead, “And we found that these individuals are at heightened risk for disease in that particular organ in the next 15 years." With this concerning percentage of impacted patients, this area of diagnostic testing warrants more extensive research studies and funding to help patients who experience rapid aging of one or more organs.
Helping Patients With Rapidly Aging Organs
With this recent investigation, who might be helped? There’s the potential to aid many patients, including underrepresented patients who might need more urgent care but are unaware about the condition of one or more of their rapidly aging organs. However, just as diversity in clinical trials for cancer drugs is essential for effective treatments, diversity is also needed for diagnostics on aging organs. Investigators noted that the patients in the study were primarily Caucasian patients, and the patient cohort was only taken from the U.S. In order to draw a more complete picture of organ aging, patients from other ethnicities and geographic backgrounds must be included in future studies.
Further Research and Potential Patient Support
Now that the research about the blood test on aging of organs has come to light, what could the future hold? Prior to the recent study, investigator Dr. Wyss-Coray shared research that highlighted the concept that the aging process doesn’t happen gradually as might be expected but instead comes in fits and spurts with rapid aging most commonly in the mid-30s, early 60s, and late 70s of patients.
Though the more detailed diagnostics on the aging of organs could assist healthcare professionals in early diagnosis and prevention of serious health conditions, there could be some additional patient concerns that will need to be addressed. The added knowledge of these health prognostic factors may bring extra stress and mental health concerns for some patients who are not prepared for the emotional load. Additional healthcare team members, such as patient navigators or counselors, might be needed for some patients to cope with strong emotions that arise after discovering new information about a rapidly aging organ. So if diagnostic tests on organ aging is rolled out to a large patient base at once, healthcare professionals should be prepared to ask what kind of additional support might be needed for these patients and how it might be provided. Perhaps with the advent of virtual care options patients might have the option to access support via video calls or telephone calls. All patients deserve access to equitable diagnostic testing, and perhaps diagnostic tests for aging organs will be part of preventative healthcare in the future. Now those who advocate for patients can be on alert for future research about this diagnostic advancement.
What Can You Do Next?
Advocate for yourself and others. Be sure to share your concerns and opinions. Write to your congressperson to ask for federal funding to support diverse representation in testing of diagnostics of organ aging and other medical technologies.
Build community and support toward equity in diagnostic testing. Look for online forums discussing equity in diagnostics. Ask your healthcare provider for other ways to find people working to create new diagnostic tools with diverse patient groups.
Lead. If you are a healthcare provider, examine how you currently engage with your patients. Consider joining our Pro Hub to connect with other experts committed to removing barriers to health equity.
Call to Action
DHH is expanding and amplifying research on inequities in diagnostic testing. We believe this topic impacts EVERYONE, as tests are the baseline for care and treatment of any health issue or disease. Stay tuned to learn with us, as we continue to report on what you need to know to advocate for yourself and others. Subscribe for the latest.
Sources
Hamilton Se-Hwee Oh, Jarod Rutledge, Daniel Nachun, Robert Palovics, Olamide Abiose, Patricia Moran-Losada, Divya Channappa, Deniz Yagmur Urey, Kate Kim, Yun Ju Sung, Lihua Wang, Jigyasha Timsina, Dan Western, Menghan Liu, Pat Kohlfeld, John Budde, Edward N. Wilson, Yann Guen, Taylor M. Maurer, Michael Haney, Andrew C. Yang, Zihuai He, Michael D. Greicius, Katrin I. Andreasson, Sanish Sathyan, Erica F. Weiss, Sofiya Milman, Nir Barzilai, Carlos Cruchaga, Anthony D. Wagner, Elizabeth Mormino, Benoit Lehallier, Victor W. Henderson, Frank M.Longo, Stephen B. Montgomery, and Tony Wyss-Coray. Organ aging signatures in the plasma proteome track health and disease. Nature website. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06802-1
Michelle Roberts. Blood Test Shows If Organs Are Ageing Fast or Slowly. BBC website. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-67588640
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