What Blood Tests Can Help Determine the Body’s Level of Aging?
that can help determine your biological age and compare it to your passport and chronological age. This set of tests we offer will be available at any lab, even one in a small town.
Some people age faster than others, and this may be due to their lifestyle, heredity, or other factors. So, knowing your biological age can help you make changes in your life to slow down the aging process and improve your health.
It is worth noting that none of the listed tests can be considered as a single parameter. It is always necessary to evaluate the results of the tests as a whole since an increase or decrease in any of the indicators can be caused by multiple diseases. When evaluating test results in healthy individuals, it is advisable to focus on the totality of indicators.
- The First Indicator Is Insulin
- The Second Indicator Is Glycated Hemoglobin
- The Third Indicator Is Insulin-Like Growth Hormone Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1)
- The Fourth Indicator Is C-Reactive Protein
- The Fifth Indicator Is Interleukin 6
- The Sixth Indicator Is Cystatin C
- The Seventh Indicator Is NT-proBNP
- Conclusion
The First Indicator Is Insulin
The first test that is usually done to assess health is an insulin test. Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas and is needed to lower blood glucose levels. In healthy people, insulin levels gradually increase with age. For example, an adult will have higher insulin levels than a child.
Medical experts recommend that insulin levels in a healthy person should be about 5 or even lower. The lower the insulin level, the higher the level of sensitivity to insulin. However, this does not apply to people who have diabetes and need insulin therapy. In this case, the rule does not work.
Checking insulin levels can help determine if there are health problems related to metabolic abnormalities. If insulin levels are too high, it may indicate a risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and other metabolic diseases.
The Second Indicator Is Glycated Hemoglobin
The concentration of glycated hemoglobin in the blood is an important indicator for assessing metabolism. Hemoglobin is the protein component of red blood cells and is responsible for delivering oxygen from the lungs to the body. However, hemoglobin can also bind to glucose in the blood. This process is called glycation. The concentration of glycated hemoglobin in the blood shows the level of glycemia over the past three months or so.
Glycated hemoglobin levels depend on many factors including age, gender, disease, and lifestyle. Glycated hemoglobin levels are usually elevated in people with carbohydrate metabolism disorders and diabetes. However, test results can also be useful for healthy people to control their metabolism and prevent the possibility of disease.
The normal level of glycated hemoglobin in the blood is between 4% and 5.6%. It is recommended that people aim for a glycated hemoglobin level between 4% and 5%. At the same time, a person’s age should be taken into account. As a rule, young people have lower glycated hemoglobin levels than older people.
Control of the level of glycated hemoglobin is important for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and other metabolic diseases. If glycated hemoglobin levels are higher than normal, it may indicate a carbohydrate metabolism disorder and an increased risk of developing diabetes.
The Third Indicator Is Insulin-Like Growth Hormone Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1)
One of the key indicators related to growth hormone action is insulin-like growth hormone growth factor 1 (IGF-1). This factor mediates the action of growth hormone, which can induce lipolysis (destruction of fat cells) and lead to muscle, tissue, and cartilage growth. To do this, growth hormone acts on the liver, where it produces IGF-1, which then interacts with cell receptors and activates the intracellular MTOR-1 complex.
MTOR-1 is an enzyme complex that stimulates proliferation and increases the synthesis of protein, fats, and other structural components in the cell. However, it also suppresses autophagy (the process of clearing cells of old and damaged components), slows down sirtuins (proteins that protect DNA from damage), and mitochondrial renewal.
It is now generally accepted that activation of MTOR-1 accelerates aging, while its certain inactivation can prolong youthfulness. It has also been observed that people with low levels of growth hormone who suffer from dwarfism may have a longer life expectancy than those with normal levels of growth hormone.
It is important to note that IGF-1 levels should not be below 120 nanograms per milliliter as this can increase the risks of various dystrophic disorders as well as bone and joint damage. The optimal IGF-1 level for most people is between 120 and 160 nanograms per milliliter.
The Fourth Indicator Is C-Reactive Protein
Inflammatory factors are a group of proteins and molecules that are produced in response to injury, infection, or other stimuli in the body. One of the most studied inflammatory markers is C-reactive protein (CRP), which is produced in the liver in response to any inflammation in the body. This protein can also be high in appendicitis and other infectious diseases, but CRP is generally used as an indicator of inflammation in the body.
According to research, blood levels of CRP can increase with age, which is associated with chronic systemic inflammation of non-bacterial origin. This may be one of the engines of aging as chronic systemic inflammation can increase the risk of various diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.
Therefore, the analysis of CRP levels can help assess the risk of various diseases and provide information about health status. However, CRP is not the only indicator of inflammation, and additional tests and examinations may be needed to fully assess a patient’s health status.
The Fifth Indicator Is Interleukin 6
The next inflammatory indicator, interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels, is one of the major pro-inflammatory cytokines associated with various diseases including COVID-19. The cytokine storm associated with pro-inflammatory cytokines can lead to serious complications such as lung inflammation, arterial hypertension, diabetes, and other diseases.
IL-6 can be measured in the lab, but this test is expensive. Instead, it is suggested that a simple blood test be used to get an indirect measure of pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. This involves determining the percentage of lymphocytes and monocytes in the blood and dividing the former by the latter. If the result is equal to or greater than 5, it may indicate low levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
There is a correlation between age and this ratio, where younger people have a higher ratio than older and sicker people. The ratio of lymphocytes to monocytes can also be used as a proxy for the levels of other pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrotic factor alpha and interleukin one beta.
It is important to note that some diseases and conditions may distort this index, so it should be considered in the context of other clinical and laboratory indicators.
The Sixth Indicator Is Cystatin C
Cystatin C is a protein that is produced in the body’s cells and is almost entirely excreted through the kidneys. Therefore, its level in the blood is a reliable indicator of kidney filtration rate, i.e. kidney performance. Creatinine, in turn, is also an indicator of kidney function, but its levels can fluctuate widely depending on diet, muscle mass, and other factors, which can lead to inaccurate results.
Therefore, when evaluating kidney function, cystatin C is a more reliable indicator that is independent of external factors. In addition, cystatin C levels may also increase as the body ages, which is associated with a natural deterioration in kidney function.
Cystatin C levels may rise in various kidney diseases such as chronic renal failure, glomerulonephritis, and others, making it an even more important indicator of kidney function. Moreover, cystatin C levels may climb in the early stages of the disease even before other symptoms appear, which allows you to diagnose kidney problems at an early stage and begin treatment in time.
Cystatin C levels can also be used to assess the effectiveness of treatment for kidney disease. For example, when treating chronic renal failure, cystatin C levels may decrease, indicating improved kidney function and effectiveness of treatment.
It should also be noted that cystatin C levels may be elevated not only in kidney disease but also in other diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and others. Therefore, when assessing cystatin C levels, all possible factors that may affect its levels should be considered.
The Seventh Indicator Is NT-proBNP
NT-proBNP is the N-terminal fragment of the test polypeptide of B-type natriuretic hormone, which is produced in the left ventricle of the heart and is used as a biomarker for diagnosis and assessment of the severity of heart failure. It is a more reliable and sensitive indicator than B-type natriuretic hormone itself.
NT-proBNP can be elevated not only in heart failure but also in other heart conditions such as arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, or myocardial hypertrophy. Increased NT-proBNP may also be related to age, as healthy individuals tend to have a gradual increase with age.
Determining NT-proBNP levels can be useful in evaluating the condition of the heart and making treatment decisions. The higher the NT-proBNP level, the more severe the heart failure is considered. As a result, more intensive treatment may be required. However, it is important to consider other factors such as age and the presence of other medical conditions when interpreting NT-proBNP test results.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the set of tests described above is a handy tool for assessing the current state of the body and comparing results in the future. Although it is not possible to accurately determine a person’s biological age from these indicators, their use can be beneficial for those seeking to improve their health and slow down the aging process. But if you need more detailed or specific tests to determine how the body is aging, then it is worth taking a closer look at this study.
When you use this set of tests to assess your condition, you can compare your results before and after you make changes in your lifestyle. For example, if you decide to fix your metabolism and health, you can start exercising and watching your diet. Then you can measure all the indicators at the beginning of your journey and recheck them a year later.
If you see that some of the metrics such as glycated hemoglobin or insulin have improved significantly, it is a clear indication that you are headed in the right direction. So, regularly measuring all of the indicators in this set of tests can help you achieve better health and age more slowly.