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NEW YORK — A quick swab of your cheek might one day reveal how long you have left to live. Researchers have discovered that a DNA test originally designed to measure biological aging from cells inside the cheek can accurately predict mortality risk, even when applied to blood samples. The findings suggest that common biological markers of aging exist across different tissues in the body, potentially opening new avenues for assessing health risks and developing anti-aging interventions.
The study centers on a tool called CheekAge, a next-generation “epigenetic clock” developed earlier this year. Our genes contain the instructions for building and maintaining our bodies, but how these genes are read and expressed can change over time. One way this happens is through a process called DNA methylation, where small chemical tags attach to our DNA. These tags act like switches, turning genes on or off.
Most previous epigenetic clocks relied on blood samples, making them less practical for widespread use. CheekAge, as its name implies, was designed to work with easily collected cheek cells. What makes this new study particularly intriguing is that CheekAge proved effective at predicting mortality risk even when applied to blood sample data.
To test this, they turned to a unique dataset from Scotland called the Lothian Birth Cohorts. This long-running study has been following two groups of people born in 1921 and 1936, collecting detailed health information and biological samples over many years.
Using blood samples from 1,513 participants (712 men and 801 women) between the ages of 67 and 90, the team applied their CheekAge algorithm. Even though CheekAge was designed for cheek samples and nearly half of its DNA markers weren’t present in the blood data, it still showed a strong ability to predict mortality risk.
Specifically, for each standard deviation increase in the difference between a person’s CheekAge and their actual age, their risk of death increased by 21%. To put this in perspective, the researchers divided participants into three groups based on their CheekAge results. The group with the “oldest” biological age reached 50% mortality about 7.8 years earlier than the group with the “youngest” biological age.
What’s particularly impressive is that CheekAge performed better at predicting mortality than several other established epigenetic clocks. It even rivaled a specialized clock called DNAm PhenoAge, which was specifically designed to predict mortality using blood samples.
“The fact that our epigenetic clock trained on cheek cells predicts mortality when measuring the methylome in blood cells suggests there are common mortality signals across tissues,” explains Dr. Maxim Shokhirev, the study’s first author and Head of Computational Biology and Data Science at Tally Health, in a statement. “This implies that a simple, non-invasive cheek swab can be a valuable alternative for studying and tracking the biology of aging.”
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, also identified specific DNA markers that seemed especially important for mortality prediction. One standout was a marker associated with a gene called ALPK2. When this marker was removed from the analysis, the ability to predict mortality dropped significantly. Interestingly, ALPK2 has been linked to heart development in animal studies and may play a role in certain cancers.
“It would be intriguing to determine if genes like ALPK2 impact lifespan or health in animal models. Future studies are also needed to identify what other associations besides all-cause mortality can be captured with CheekAge,” says Dr. Adiv Johnson, the study’s last author and Head of Scientific Affairs and Education at Tally Health. “For example, other possible associations might include the incidence of various age-related diseases or the duration of ‘healthspan’, the period of healthy life free of age-related chronic disease and disability.”
Other important markers were connected to genes involved in bone health, metabolism, and cellular processes related to aging. This suggests that CheekAge is capturing a variety of biological factors that contribute to overall health and longevity.
While more research is necessary to fully understand how CheekAge works and to confirm its predictive power in larger, more diverse populations, this study opens up exciting possibilities. Imagine being able to assess your health risks with a simple cheek swab, potentially allowing for earlier interventions and personalized health strategies.
Of course, it’s important to remember that these tools provide probabilities, not certainties. A high CheekAge doesn’t mean you’re destined for an early grave, just as a low CheekAge doesn’t guarantee a long life. However, as our understanding of the aging process grows, tools like CheekAge could become valuable assets in our quest for healthier, longer lives.
Paper Summary
Methodology
The researchers used DNA methylation data from blood samples collected as part of the Lothian Birth Cohorts study. They applied their CheekAge algorithm, which was originally designed for cheek swab samples, to this blood data. Despite missing some DNA markers, the algorithm still worked effectively. They then used statistical models to analyze how well CheekAge predicted mortality risk, taking into account factors like age, sex, and cell type composition in the blood samples.
Key Results
CheekAge showed a significant association with mortality risk. For each standard deviation increase in the difference between CheekAge and chronological age, the risk of death increased by 21%. The researchers also identified specific DNA markers that were particularly important for this prediction, with markers related to genes like ALPK2, B4GALNT3, and SAT1 standing out.
Study Limitations
The study used blood samples instead of cheek swabs, which CheekAge was originally designed for. The blood data also lacked about half of the DNA markers used in the full CheekAge model. The study population was limited to older adults from Scotland, so the results may not apply equally to other age groups or populations. Additionally, while CheekAge predicts mortality risk, it doesn’t explain the underlying causes of this risk.
Discussion & Takeaways
This study suggests that epigenetic changes measurable in easily accessible tissues like cheek cells could provide valuable information about overall health and mortality risk. The performance of CheekAge, even when applied to blood samples with missing data, indicates it’s capturing fundamental aging processes. The identification of specific DNA markers associated with mortality risk opens up new avenues for understanding the biology of aging and age-related diseases.
Funding & Disclosures
The study received funding from Tally Health, a company that some of the authors are affiliated with. It also received support from various research councils and charities, including the Wellcome Trust, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Economic and Social Research Council, and Age UK. These connections between the researchers and a company with potential commercial interests in the findings should be considered when interpreting the results.
Since physical birth is 1st death, that to spirit (symbolic cutting of the umbilical cord, expulsion of the placenta and location of the genitals next to urination and defecation) one must be BORN AGAIN in spirit and fire to be alive and in the spirit of mere existence, all 8+ billion moronic populace remain actually DEAD. How then would you ‘measure’ a ‘life’ span?!
“Of course, it’s important to remember that these tools provide probabilities, not certainties. A high CheekAge doesn’t mean you’re destined for an early grave, just as a low CheekAge doesn’t guarantee a long life. However, as our understanding of the aging process grows, tools like CheekAge could become valuable assets in our quest for healthier, longer lives.”
I am a medical anthropologist researcher and author. One of the biggest causes of death is going to the doctor. Drug side effects are a major killer, as are medical misdiagnoses and unnecessary treatments. Products like this are designed to get people to the doctor for early detection and treatment. This is essentially an early detection method. But it does not predict specific problems, and will create unnecessary anxiety and treatments. You don’t want to tell people that they have signs that suggest they will die soon, since the nocebo effect, which is the opposite of the placebo effect, will make some of these people fulfill those expectations. Studies have shown that patients who are told they will die often do because of the suggestion by the doctor that they will die. Telling people that they will live actually helps them live. The mind works that way to fulfill expectations given by doctors to patients.
So instead of looking for ways to get early treatment and spend lots of time in doctors’ offices, maybe skip the crystal ball medicine and just live your life as healthfully as you can. Modern medicine is drug-focused and ignores anything that is not profitable for their industry, including lifestyle interventions that can truly prevent disease. Avoid doctors as long as possible.
Finally, there is a huge conflict of interest in this product. “The study received funding from Tally Health, a company that some of the authors are affiliated with.” They see money in frightening people with cheek swabs to send them to the doctor for early treatment, even if the problem is only a possibility.
If you want more information, see my article, How to Live Forever. https://www.academia.edu/99590073/How_to_Live_Forever