If you could have a test to help predict how soon you’ll die, would you want to take it?
Scientists say they’ve developed a “death test” that can use a blood sample to identify if you’re at risk of being killed from a variety of diseases within the next five years, according to the Telegraph.
And the test isn’t just for those who have chronic ailments or bad family histories — they say even if you’re perfectly healthy, the test still can identify if you’re destined for an early grave. But how’d they do it?
Researchers took samples from 17,000 people and tested for 100 different chemicals in their blood. They then followed those people, keeping track of who died and when. In all, 684 people died from a variety of illnesses and diseases.
By cross-checking with the blood samples, researchers say they’re able to forecast what biomarkers would give that a person a high risk of kicking it within five years.
What is especially interesting is that these biomarkers reflect the risk for dying from very different types of diseases such as heart disease or cancer. They seem to be signs of a general frailty in the body, said Dr. Johannes Kettunen of the Institute for Molecular Medicine in Finland. We believe that in the future these measures can be used to identify people who appear healthy but in fact have serious underlying illnesses and guide them to proper treatment.
So, we have to ask:
via the Telegraph
