Reacción a "Reactions: blood test can measure organ age"

The population is ageing. Life expectancy is increasing thanks to improved health and technological developments that promote a higher quality of life, but the reason why we are getting older is still unclear. It is true that our body's ability to maintain, renew itself and continue to function properly declines with age. However, some people age faster than others, possibly due to genetics, habits and environmental conditions to which we are exposed. For any of these reasons, we do not currently have a tool that allows us to know how we are going to age or which part of our body is more aged and could be the trigger for dying with age, without an apparent specific cause related to any pathology. 

In this respect, the paper published in the journal Nature by the internationally renowned Tony Wyss-Coray of Stanford University sheds light on the mechanism of ageing and how one could predict which organs in our body are ageing. This could lead to the development of specific diseases, thus providing a way to anticipate the onset and development of diseases associated with ageing. In their study, they analyse proteins present in the blood of thousands of individuals to determine which organ or organs are most aged, since, they say, accelerated ageing of a single organ could lead to an increase of up to 50% in the risk of mortality. The study indicates that rapid ageing of the heart would increase the risk of heart disease and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, which reflect the leading causes of death in the world's population today. 

Wyss-Coray's studies have always been linked to the study of blood factors that could provide some information about ageing and related diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. His most important studies have focused on the search for markers in the blood that determine the ageing of the organism and the existence of rejuvenating or age-inducing molecules. Their recent study is fascinating, as it could provide insight into the overall health status of an individual by analysing a blood sample and anticipate the development of certain potentially lethal age-related diseases. However, this is only a first step and the possibility of making this analysis available to all is still far on the horizon.