Predicting Life Expectancy: Could a Routine Blood Test Provide Insights into Personal Aging Process?
Intrinsic capacity (IC), a term coined by the World Health Organization, encapsulates all the physical and mental abilities a person can draw upon, such as walking, thinking, and seeing. Traditionally, assessing IC has been a complex and costly endeavor requiring special equipment and trained professionals. But that's changed, thanks to a groundbreaking study.
Researchers have crafted a method to evaluate IC and age-related decline using a simple blood or saliva sample. This test, known as DNAm IC, is based on DNA methylation patterns — chemical tags linked to gene activity and reflecting both biological and chronological age. These patterns can shed light on cellular aging and have significant implications for all-cause mortality and healthy aging.
The study, published in Nature Aging, suggests that the DNAm IC test could become a useful tool for tracking aging and guiding targeted interventions to maintain mental and physical function as people age.
Thomas M. Holland, MD, a physician-scientist and assistant professor at the RUSH Institute for Healthy Aging, described the DNAm IC test as a promising development in aging science. He explained that it uses DNA methylation patterns to estimate IC biologically, offering insight into how well the body is functioning compared to the individual's chronological age.
One of the key advantages of DNAm IC is its accessibility. Unlike conventional methods, it can be carried out with a simple blood or saliva sample, making it easily available and non-invasive. It provides more than just an age reading; it offers a glimpse into the status of one's biological aging, offering crucial information for selecting appropriate interventions to prevent potential health problems.
Elena Rolt, a Registered Nutritional Therapist and Functional Medicine Practitioner, also endorsed the findings. She noted the DNAm IC test's potential as a practical measure of biological aging, highlighting that it captures functional aging more directly compared to traditional epigenetic clock-based tests.
"This test reflects immune aging, physical capacity, and lifestyle-related risk factors, making it particularly relevant for personalized aging interventions and preventive strategies," Rolt said. However, she cautioned that its utility in clinical practice would depend on further validation.
To develop the DNAm IC test, researchers analyzed data from 1,014 individuals aged between 20 and 102 years from the INSPIRE-T cohort. They incorporated data on DNA methylation — a process that activates or deactivates genes — to construct the DNAm IC predictor, or the IC clock. This IC clock was then compared to mortality data to determine its strength of association with overall health.
The research team discovered that individuals with the highest DNAm IC had better lung function, faster walking speed, greater bone mineral density, and were more likely to view themselves as healthy. Remarkably, people with a high DNAm IC lived an average of 5.5 years longer than those with a low DNAm IC.
According to Holland, this finding underscores the strong associations between high IC and better immune function, lower chronic inflammation, and reduced risk for diseases like hypertension, heart failure, stroke, and other age-related conditions.
Can you improve your intrinsic capacity? While IC declines naturally with age, certain measures can help slow the pace of decline.
This study identified individuals with high dietary intake of oily fish and sugar intake within recommended guidelines as more likely to have a high DNAm IC. Oily fish, like salmon and mackerel, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to improved brain function, reduced inflammation, and enhanced immune system response. On the other hand, excessive sugar intake can drive inflammation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and other factors detrimental to IC.
When it comes to healthy aging strategies, experts recommend:
- Following a healthy diet, such as the MIND or Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fresh produce, whole grains, and healthy fats like those found in nuts, olive oil, and oily fish.
- Engaging in regular physical activity, including aerobic exercise, strength training, and balance exercises to support locomotion and vitality.
- Fostering cognitive and social engagement to keep the brain active and maintain social networks.
- Managing stress and any chronic diseases.
Embrace these tips, and you may enjoy a longer, healthier life!
- The DNAm IC test, a groundbreaking development in aging science, uses DNA methylation patterns to biologically estimate intrinsic capacity, shedding light on cellular aging and offering valuable insights into an individual's biological aging compared to their chronological age.
- Research indicates that individuals with a high DNAm IC, who consume oily fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids and maintain sugar intake within recommended guidelines, are more likely to have a higher intrinsic capacity.
- Aiming for a healthy lifestyle by following a balanced diet like the MIND or Mediterranean diet, engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining cognitive and social engagement, and managing stress and chronic diseases, may help slow the decline of intrinsic capacity and contribute to a longer, healthier life.
