Researchers are developing a simple blood test that could assess your health span and lifespan.
- Intrinsic capacity is the sum of a person’s mental and physical
capacities, and is a measure of aging.
- Maintaining physical and mental function is a cornerstone of healthy
aging.
- Formerly, assessing intrinsic capacity has been a costly and
time-consuming process.
- Now, researchers have developed a method for assessing intrinsic
capacity and age-related decline from a single drop of blood or saliva.
- They suggest that their test could be used to track aging and guide targeted interventions to maintain mental and physical function as people age.
Intrinsic capacity (IC) is defined by
the World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source as
“all the physical and mental capacities that a person can draw on and includes
their ability to walk, think, see, hear and remember.”
A person’s intrinsic capacity is
influenced by a number of factors, including the presence of diseases, injuries
and age-related changes.
Maintaining your intrinsic capacity
is key to healthy aging. However, measuring intrinsic capacity has, until now,
required sophisticated equipment and trained personnel.
A new study has found that measuring DNA methylationTrusted Source in blood
samples to assess intrinsic capacity effectively predicts all-cause mortality.
The study, which is published
in Nature AgingTrusted
Source, suggests that the IC clock could be a useful tool for
tracking aging and guiding targeted interventions to maintain function in older
age.
Thomas M.
Holland, MD, MS, a physician-scientist and assistant professor at
the RUSH Institute for Healthy Aging, RUSH University, College of Health
Sciences, who was not involved in this study, commented for Medical
News Today that:
“A blood-
or saliva-based test for intrinsic capacity, known as DNAm IC, is a very
promising tool in aging science. […] This test uses DNA methylation patterns,
chemical tags that regulate gene activity, to estimate your IC biologically,
offering insights into how well your body is functioning compared to your
chronological age.”
“One of the most critical aspects is
that this test can be done with a simple blood or saliva sample, making it
accessible and noninvasive. It tells us not just how old you are, but how well
you are aging, which is much more meaningful to help inform which interventions
should be implemented, if any, to help prevent future health problems,” Holland
explained.
Elena Rolt,
MSc, DipION, IFMCP, a Registered Nutritional Therapist and Functional Medicine
Practitioner and cofounder of Health Miro, who was not involved in this
research, also welcomed the findings.
“The DNA methylation-based intrinsic
capacity (DNAm IC) test shows significant potential as a practical measure of
biological aging,“ Rolt told MNT. “Unlike traditional epigenetic
clock based tests, it also captures functional aging more directly.“
“As it reflects immune aging, physical capacity and lifestyle-related
risk factors, this test may be particularly relevant for personalised aging interventions
and preventive strategies,” she added.
“However,” Rolt cautioned, “its use
should be complementary to other markers — e.g. PhenoAge, GrimAge, functional
tests — and its utility in clinical practice will depend on further
validation.”
Blood and saliva samples shed light
on cellular aging
Using data from 1,014 people from
the INSPIRE-T cohort, aged between 20 and 102 years, the
researchers developed an IC score using five aspects of age-related decline:
1. Cognition
2. Locomotion
3. Sensory (Vision And Hearing)
4. Psychological
5. Vitality.
From blood and saliva tests, the
researchers collected data on DNA
methylationTrusted Source — a process
that activates or deactivates genes. DNA methylation changes over time because
of developmental mutations and environmental factors, and abnormal methylation patternsTrusted Source have
been linked to several diseases.
They used this, and the age-related
decline data, to construct an epigeneticTrusted Source predictor
of IC (an “IC clock,” or DNAm IC), then evaluated associations between the IC
clock and mortality.
The researchers found that DNAm IC was strongly associated with overall
health. People 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.
And people with a high DNAm IC lived,
on average, 5.5 years longer than those with a low DNAm IC.
Holland told us this was a very
significant finding: “Scientifically, this reflects 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.”
“Simply,” he added, “if your body is functioning well internally you are
more likely to live longer and stay healthier. This test doesn’t just give a
snapshot of your current state; it may also offer a glimpse into your future
health.”
Can you improve your intrinsic capacity?
In everyone, intrinsic capacity
declines with age, but there are measures that can help to slow that decline.
This study found that people with a
high dietary intake of oily fish, and sugar intake that was within recommended
guidelines (no more than 5% of total energy intake), were more likely to have a
high DNAm IC.
Tunç Tiryaki,
board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of the London Regenerative
Institute, who was not involved in the recent study, explained the association:
“Oily fish are rich in
long-chain omega-3 fatty acidsTrusted Source (EPA
and DHA), which have anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and
mitochondrial-supportive properties. These mechanisms are closely aligned with
domains of IC such as vitality and cognitive function. Omega-3s also
modulate gene expression related to immune responses and cellular senescence,
pathways shown to be enriched in the DNAm IC signature.”
“Conversely, excessive sugar intake
is known to accelerate glycation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance and
chronic inflammation, all of which impair IC,” Tiryaki told MNT.
“Staying within recommended sugar
limits likely supports metabolic flexibility and reduces inflammatory burden,
preserving cognitive and physical function. These dietary factors likely
influence DNAm IC by modulating epigenetic regulation and immune aging, thus
helping maintain functional capacity,“ he detailed.
How to extend your healthy life years: Expert tips
Holland, Tiryaki, and Rolt
recommended a number of measures to help ensure healthy aging. These include:
- following a healthy diet, such
as the MIND or Mediterranean diet,
that is rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, and healthy fats,
such as those found in nuts, olive oil and oily fish
- regular physical activity,
including aerobic activity, strength training and balance exercises;
Tiryaki emphasized that physical activity “supports locomotion and
vitality and influences mitochondrial function and immune health, both of
which are linked to IC”
- cognitive and social engagement
— keeping your brain stimulated and maintaining social networks are both
associated with healthier aging.
- ensuring that you manage stress
and any chronic diseases.
Holland told us that the DNAm clock
was a major advance in functional aging science: “It links molecular biology
with real-world outcomes like mobility, cognition and lifespan. While further
validation is needed, especially in older adults with low IC, this study lays
the groundwork for using personalised epigenetic markers to guide interventions
in preventive geriatrics, longevity medicine and precision public health.”
“DNAm IC reflects not only how long
you might live, but how well you might function, and that shift in focus is
central to meaningful longevity.”– Thomas M. Holland, MD, MS
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