When am I going to die?

Scientists Devise A Test That Predicts When You Will Die and General Life Expectancy

There is no doubt that a majority of individuals globally never have a spark of thoughts on when they are likely to die. After all, no one is interested in death more than life itself. However, the sad reality of that each one of us will die at one point or the other. Understanding one’s life expectancy is strangely important since that is the only way you can put your things in order before leaving this world. It is for such and other reasons that American Scientists saw it necessary for them to help individuals know when they are likely to die and their general life expectancy.

At one given time, there was little to no possibility of predicting life expectancy. In fact, the scientists who have come up with the blood test that predicts life expectancy must have invested a lot of knowledge in the same.

Most people believe that death relies on nature. Others believe that religious gods dictate the time of death. In other words, there was no given time when people would believe that death could be predicted scientifically, especially among individuals who were healthy in all aspects. Note that this is totally different as compared to predicting death on a person who is ailing. For instance, life expectancy of a person suffering from cancer is easy to predict as compared to a person who is very healthy.

How Does This Test Work?

The entire test is solely based on what scientists refer to as Phenotypic Age. In the interest of imparting maximum understanding, phenotype is a blend of genotype and what the environment offers. In short, phenotype is all about the physical characteristics of a human being as a result of both genotype and environmental impacts. From this, the American scientists were able to devise a mechanism that would ultimately predict how long one is bound to live.

One sure fact is that the environment has a lot to do with life expectancy. In fact, this is the main influencing factor to life. Human body tends to adapt to the environment, whether favorable or unfavorable. As a result, life expectancy is influenced. When the human body is exposed to an unfavorable environment, the ultimate result will be reduced life expectancy and vice versa.

According to The Guardian, the scientists claimed that if an individual’s phenotypic age is higher than the chronological age, then there is a higher chance of dying. This is usually established by measuring 9 different biomarkers in the human body. It is worth noting that there is a difference between phenotypic age and chronological age. The former is all about the age imposed by genotype and the environment while the latter is all about the number of years that one has lived so far. Variation between the two is where life expectancy prediction emanates.

According to Dr. Morgan Levin, this study is not only oriented towards individuals who have health issues. In fact, it applies well on individuals who are seemingly healthy. It is not the issue of having normal BMI and living a disease-free life. It is an issue of what the phenotypic age states.

Does This Test Dwell More on Physical Looks?

Yes! Much of what this test covers is all about physical appearances. Dr. Morgan Levine, confirms that some individuals may be at the age of 60 but from a physiological perspective they appear more like they are 70 years old. This is majorly attributed to the environmental exposure an individual undergoes. In such a case, the mortality risk is remarkably high. In other words, a person who looks older than his/her chronological age is likely to die earlier.

How Was The Conclusion On The Test Reached?

In essence, this research was conducted comprehensively enough for the sake of coming up with a conclusive explanation. The researchers focused on a total of 42 clinical measures that involved different participants. During the survey, it was considered necessary to account for different factors such as lifestyle, medical and health history, and cause of death among individuals who had succumbed before. The performance of the body from a health perspective was also among the things that were put into consideration. For instance, some of the individuals involved in the survey were tested in regards to the amount of albumin as produced by the liver. In other words, all the factors that were considered revolved around anything that may be a threat to life, whether in terms of health or otherwise.

It is worth noting that this study/research was done in 2 different phases. The first phase took place between 1988 and 1994. In this instance, a total of 10,000 participants were involved in the process of data collection. The second phase took place between 1999 and 2010. This involved a total of 11,000 participants from which data was collected.

Following thorough scrutiny on the data collected, it was revealed that phenotypic age had everything to do with rise of mortality cases. In fact, the research confirmed that the risk of dying among individuals whose phenotypic age was higher than their real age rose by 14% every year, particularly among those who were between the age of 20 and 39 chronologically.

The researchers confirmed that the test has the capacity to differentiate between individuals who appear healthy, and those who are in essence unhealthy. The bottom line is that the phenotypic age of a person is the main pointer on how long he/she will live.

In a nutshell, this research confirms that it is now possible for science to reveal the possibility of a person dying at a given age. Although the accuracy of the study is not yet confirmed, the fact remains that science has a way of revealing life expectancy. The research is yet to be brought out to public but it is expected that the release will be soon.