Research Question: Why do some people remain healthy in their 80s while others become frail in their 60s? We ask whether measuring the “biological age” of specific organs (like the heart, brain, or liver) can better predict health risks than simply using a person’s date of birth.
Scientific Rationale: Chronological age (the number of years lived) does not fully reflect how the body ages. Aging is a complex process that affects different body systems at different rates. For example, a person might have a healthy heart but kidneys that are “older” than their actual age. Current research often looks at the body as a whole, missing these organ-specific differences. By identifying which specific organ systems are aging too fast, we can better understand the root causes of frailty and multiple long-term conditions (multimorbidity).
Aims and Objectives:
1. To use the rich data in UK Biobank-including MRI scans, blood tests, and physical measurements-to calculate the “biological age” for major organ systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, kidney/liver, and brain).
2. To compare these biological ages with actual age to calculate an “age gap.”
3. To test if a larger age gap predicts future health problems, such as hospitalisation, frailty, or premature death.
4. To identify modifiable lifestyle factors (like diet, smoking, or exercise) that can slow down organ-specific aging.
This project aims to create tools that help doctors identify patients at risk much earlier, allowing for personalized advice to maintain health and independence in later life.
