Using 150 genes from human muscle, brain and skin, researchers at Kings College London have developed a benchmark score that can predict healthy aging years — or perhaps even decades.
The genes analyzed were taken from 70-year-olds, born about the same month and year, whose health then was tracked for up to 20 years. Typically, the subjects who had a greater number of those 150 genes working normally and well had greater overall health –- particularly in brain and kidney function, two keystones of healthy aging. Scientists also tracked specific malfunctioning genes to specific diseases associated with aging, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
TRENDPOST: Knowing the likelihood of age-related illness far in advance, adults can exchange risky lifestyle patterns for healthier ones and tailor habits to their particular genetic profiles. Result: Healthier elders with a better quality of life and reduced burdens on health-care systems and taxpayers.