Too Much of This in the Blood Could Predict Unhealthy Aging

A study published in Circulation found a hormone, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), commonly associated with heart disease also might predict when someone is more likely to grow frailer or lose their ability to balance before they reach the age of 70, reports Medical Xpress . Persons in their early 60s with higher-than-normal BNP levels walked slower and were less able to raise themselves from a chair and balance on one leg up to nine years later. "We were surprised that BNP turned out to be the best predictor of our simple measures of aging," notes Yoav Ben-Shlomo with University College London. The peptide is mainly generated in the left ventricle, typically when the heart is overtaxed in pumping blood. Ben-Shlomo suggests a blood test that grades someone with higher-than-normal BNP levels in their 30s or 40s could be applied to reduce their risk of aging more rapidly with more exercise and better nutrition. He says boosting physical activity in mid-life might ward off a later physical decline for people with high BNP levels. "The theory is if you can reach a higher peak in young adulthood, you have more room to decline later in life — as we all do," Ben-Shlomo concludes.