This is evident from research published in the scientific journal Nature, which The Guardian, among others, writes about. The research looked at blood and other data from almost half a million people, which are contained in a British biomedical database.
By examining blood levels in combination with medical records and death records, scientists can predict the risk of a wide range of diseases, from diabetes and heart disease to cancer and dementia.
This is because the composition of the blood changes when an organ no longer functions 100 percent. For example, a diseased liver can increase ammonia in the blood. Due to a damaged kidney, more urea and creatine can be detected. And in cancer, glucose absorption increases.
The values of almost 250 different proteins, sugars, fats and other substances in the blood can be examined.
Game changer
According to Joy Edwards-Hicks, researcher from the University of Edinburgh, the research will be ‘a real game changer for our work’. These types of tests will shift the emphasis in healthcare from treating disease to preventing it.
“If we have early predictors of disease, we can tell someone in their forties that his or her blood substances do not look good for his or her age. Then we can advise them to change their lifestyle.”
This research will allow scientists to develop tests that predict early signs of disease more reliably, and for a wider range of conditions.
