European researchers led by Joris Deelen have developed a personalized metabolic health tool that analyzes ten standard blood markers to evaluate biological aging and predict cardiometabolic disease risk. Based on data from 44,000 volunteers across Europe, the score is determined 60% by lifestyle and 40% by genetics. A one-point increase on the scale corresponds to a 14-year average delay in cardiometabolic disease onset, while targeted lifestyle interventions significantly improve metabolic profiles in high-risk individuals.
Development and refinement of the metabolic health score
- ▪The metabolic score was refined by Leiden University Medical Center researchers in three stages, simplifying the panel to ten markers and establishing a scale where higher scores signal better health.
- ▪European researchers led by Joris Deelen developed a personalized metabolic health indicator that analyzes ten blood markers to evaluate disease risk and biological aging trajectory in middle-aged individuals.
- ▪Leiden University Medical Center collaborated with exchange student Gabriela Natalle Lopes of São Paulo's Albert Einstein Israelite Faculty to update the metabolic score for clinical applications.
- ▪The metabolic indicator study initially evaluated over 200 chemical substances in blood samples from 44,000 volunteers across 12 European studies, tracking 5,500 recorded deaths to identify biological mortality markers.
Health parameters and conditions predicted by the score
- ▪The ten-marker metabolic health indicator reliably predicts cardiometabolic conditions, including diabetes, heart attack, and stroke, with a one-point increase corresponding to an average 14-year delay in an individual's first disease onset.
- ▪The ten-marker metabolic health score correlates with physical and biological aging parameters, including cognitive function, lung capacity, and handgrip strength.
Factors influencing the metabolic health score
- ▪Among evaluated behaviors, smoking produced the strongest negative effect on the metabolic health score, whereas regular physical activity improved the score.
- ▪Analysis by Leiden University Medical Center researchers revealed that the metabolic health score is determined 40% by genetics and 60% by lifestyle and environmental factors.
- ▪Childhood malnutrition causes permanent consequences that worsen an individual's metabolic score later in adulthood.
Research on tissue communication and aging mechanisms
- ▪Research led by Tiago da Silva Alexandre at Brazil's Federal University of São Carlos demonstrates that molecular communication between muscle, bone, fat, and brain tissues links musculoskeletal aging to dementia.
- ▪Research led by Tiago da Silva Alexandre found that excess visceral fat sequesters vitamin D, which simultaneously weakens muscle mass and increases the risk of cognitive decline in older adults.
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