Centenarians often exhibit lower levels of glucose, creatinine, and uric acid starting from their sixties onward, according to a groundbreaking study that may pave the way for a straightforward blood test to predict a person's likelihood of reaching the age of 100.
This research, published in the journal GeroScience on Monday, represents the most extensive investigation to date into monitoring and analyzing various molecules in the blood of individuals born between 1893 and 1920.
Scientists, including researchers from the Karolinska Institutet, meticulously reviewed data on blood molecules collected from over 44,500 Swedish individuals who underwent clinical examinations between 1985 and 1996, with follow-ups conducted until 2020.
The study's primary focus was on those born between 1893 and 1920, individuals whose ages ranged from 64 to 99 when their initial blood samples were obtained. Researchers tracked their progress as they approached the century mark.
Out of the participants, approximately 1,200 individuals, accounting for around 2.7% of the total, reached the impressive age of 100.
To draw meaningful conclusions, researchers compared the data from this group with that of their younger counterparts.
Their analysis identified 12 blood-based molecules linked to metabolism, inflammation, as well as liver and kidney function, all of which had previously been associated with aging and mortality in other studies.
These molecules encompassed total cholesterol and glucose, indicating metabolic markers, uric acid, which signaled inflammation levels, enzymes indicative of liver health, and creatinine as a measure of kidney health. Additionally, researchers examined albumin and iron levels in the blood.
With the exception of a liver enzyme and albumin, all the other molecules were found to be associated with the likelihood of an individual becoming a centenarian.
Those with elevated levels of total cholesterol and iron exhibited a higher probability of reaching the age of 100 compared to those with lower levels. Conversely, lower levels of molecules such as glucose, creatinine, uric acid, and liver enzymes were linked to a greater chance of living beyond 100.
The researchers noted, "We found that, on the whole, those who reached their one-hundredth birthday tended to have lower levels of glucose, creatinine, and uric acid from their sixties onward." They also observed that very few centenarians had glucose levels exceeding 6.5 earlier in life or creatinine levels above 125.
Although some of the differences in blood molecule levels between groups were minor, the findings still suggest a "potential link" between metabolism, nutrition, and longevity.
However, it's important to note that the study falls short of pinpointing specific lifestyle factors or genes responsible for these blood molecule levels. The researchers emphasized that while chance likely plays a role in reaching the age of 100, the differences in biomarker values more than a decade before death suggest that genetic and/or lifestyle factors reflected in these biomarkers may also contribute to exceptional longevity. As such, maintaining vigilance over kidney and liver values, as well as glucose and uric acid levels as one ages, is advisable.
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