A new study has identified a distinct pattern of blood metabolites in centenarians that appears to represent more than simply growing older. The researchers found that people who reached 100 years of age had unusually high levels of specific primary and secondary bile acids, along with preserved levels of several steroids.
For the study, published in GeroScience, the research team from Boston University analyzed blood samples from 213 participants in the New England Centenarian Study—one of the largest investigations of exceptionally long lived people in North America. The cohort included 70 centenarians, their children (offspring), and age matched control participants.
Using an untargeted metabolomics assay, the team measured approximately 1,495 small molecules in blood serum. They compared metabolite levels among centenarians, offspring and controls, while also identifying molecules that changed with chronological age. To strengthen their findings, the researchers compared the results with four additional metabolomics studies to determine which metabolic signals appeared consistently.
The researchers also examined which metabolites or groups of metabolites were linked to how long participants lived after their blood samples were collected. In addition, they developed a machine-learning model that estimated biological age from metabolite levels and evaluated whether being biologically younger or older than a person's chronological age was associated with survival.
According to the researchers, the metabolites and metabolic patterns identified in the study could eventually serve as biomarkers for estimating biological age, identifying people at higher or lower risk of age-related decline, and tracking how individuals respond to lifestyle changes or medications designed to improve health as they age.
While the work is preliminary, the positive results raise optimism about eventually finding “the secret to healthy—or healthier—aging.”
“We hope this study helps point to measurable metabolic signs of healthy aging that can be tracked and targeted,” said corresponding author Stefano Monti, professor of medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. “However, the study's cross-sectional design means we cannot yet determine cause and effect, and these findings need validation in larger, diverse populations. Ultimately, our goal is to translate these insights into tests and safe interventions that help people stay healthier and more active for longer.”
Data from Boston University College of Medicine