The key to longevity is a young brain, says science
Quelle: VIDEOELEPHANT (Glomex)
A study published in Nature Medicine has shown that the biological age of the brain is the best indicator of longevity: Having a young brain is likely to lead to a longer life. The study conducted by a team at Stanford University developed a method based on analyzing proteins in the blood to estimate the biological age of 11 organs, including the brain, heart, lungs, and kidneys. By analyzing data from 44,498 individuals observed over a period of 17 years, scientists compared the protein signatures of the organs with age-specific average values and developed an algorithm to predict the risk of certain diseases and mortality. An biologically "old" brain increases the risk of an Alzheimer's diagnosis in the following 10 years by about 12 times and the risk of death within 15 years by 182%. In contrast, a "young" brain reduces the risk of death by 40%. The work opens up new perspectives for prevention: Brain age could become an important indicator for intervening before the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. In the future, medicine could focus on "rejuvenating" organs to improve health and longevity.