近日，一项刊登于国际杂志Scientific Reports上的研究报告中，来自乌普萨拉大学（Uppsala University）的研究人员通过研究开发了一种新型简单的血液检测技术，该血检技术可以帮助揭示机体的生物学年龄，即可以告知你身体到底有多大年龄？
研究者Ulf Gyllensten教授指出，随着新技术的普及，未来我们将很容易为我们带来激励性的医疗措施或帮助改变患者的生活方式并且监测所产生的效应；随着我们机体和不同器官老化，生活方式的因子，比如吸烟和压力等都会影响机体的分子过程及我们老化的速度。
如今本文中研究人员就开发了一种简单的血液检测技术，其可以帮助揭示生活方式如何影响我们机体的老化，研究者分析了来自1000名个体机体血液样本中的多种蛋白质的水平，通过分析血液中的蛋白质就可以帮助评估个体机体的生物学年龄，体重、高度及臀围情况，血液中蛋白质的表达会受到一系列生活方式选择的影响，而且特定的因子还会加速机体的衰老，而其它因子则会减缓机体衰老。
研究者说道，比如吸烟和碳酸水会增加机体生理年龄长达6年，而摄入多脂鱼类和咖啡，同时加强锻炼则会中和相同程度的机体老化过程；因此理解个体机体生物学年龄并且监测在治疗期间或生活方式改变期间患者生物年龄的改变，对于医生们鼓励患者完成疗法或将带来一定希望和可能性。
未来科学家们或许可以对干燥的血迹中的蛋白质表达水平进行分析，这将帮助他们利用蛋白质特性进行法庭调查取证，帮助绘制犯罪嫌疑人的机体仿真模型，从而帮助公安和司法机构尽快破案。
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Protein profiling reveals consequences of lifestyle choices on predicted biological aging
Stefan Enroth, Sofia Bosdotter Enroth, Åsa Johansson & Ulf Gyllensten
Ageing is linked to a number of changes in how the body and its organs function. On a molecular level, ageing is associated with a reduction of telomere length, changes in metabolic and gene-transcription profiles and an altered DNA-methylation pattern. Lifestyle factors such as smoking or stress can impact some of these molecular processes and thereby affect the ageing of an individual. Here we demonstrate by analysis of 77 plasma proteins in 976 individuals, that the abundance of circulating proteins accurately predicts chronological age, as well as anthropometrical measurements such as weight, height and hip circumference. The plasma protein profile can also be used to identify lifestyle factors that accelerate and decelerate ageing. We found smoking, high BMI and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages to increase the predicted chronological age by 2–6 years, while consumption of fatty fish, drinking moderate amounts of coffee and exercising reduced the predicted age by approximately the same amount. This method can be applied to dried blood spots and may thus be useful in forensic medicine to provide basic anthropometrical measures for an individual based on a biological evidence sample.