Simple blood test could predict your risk of dying within next five years

A team of researchers has identified four biomarkers that help to identify people at high risk of dying from any disease within the next five years.

Researchers from Finland and Estonia have discovered novel biological markers that are strongly indicative of risk of dying from any disease within the near future.

Blood samples from over 17 000 generally healthy people were screened for more than a hundred different biomolecules. The health status of these study volunteers was followed for several years.

The identified biomarkers were albumin, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, citrate and the size of very-low-density lipoprotein particles. Of these, albumin was the only one previously linked with mortality. All these molecules are normally present in everyone's blood, but it is the amount of these molecules that was shown to be important.

The novel biomarkers helped to detect individuals at much higher risk of dying during the five-year follow-up.

The measures were independent of well-known risk factors such as age, smoking, drinking, obesity, blood pressure and cholesterol. The result did not change even when only apparently healthy persons were examined.

These biomarkers reflect the risk for dying from very different types of diseases such as heart disease or cancer.

The study was published in the journal PLOS Medicine.