Researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence tool that can measure a person’s “biological age” from a blood sample with 85 per cent accuracy, a breakthrough that could help predict and prevent age-related diseases.
The new ageing clock, dubbed “gtAge,” was created by a team from Edith Cowan University (ECU) and collaborators. It works by combining two different sets of complex biological data from the blood—sugar structures on antibodies and a snapshot of gene activity—and analysing them with a custom-built AI.
The study found this combined method was more precise than using either data set alone. Crucially, researchers also found that the difference between a person’s predicted biological age and their actual birthdate was linked to key health markers like cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Co-author Dr Xingang Li, a research fellow at ECU, explained that a person’s birthdate often fails to capture their true health status.
“In reality, some individuals remain healthy until into their 80s and 90s, whereas others may experience age-related decline much earlier,” Dr Li said. “This discrepancy can be attributed to differences in biological age, which integrates genetic, lifestyle, nutritional, disease-related, and general health factors to accurately reflect the true biological aging process.”
Dr Li noted that the new tool explains 85.3 per cent of the variation in chronological age. “It links to real health risks and could help spot people at risk of age-related diseases earlier,” he said.
The AI at the heart of the test, named “AlphaSnake,” was developed using Deep Reinforcement Learning.
“This algorithm works by picking the most useful data points from the two different biological sources, avoiding the pitfalls of just blindly blending data,” explained co-author Dr Syed Islam, an ECU Senior Lecturer of Computer Science.
The team believes the tool could be used to empower people to make preventative health changes long before diseases develop.
“By measuring biological age and not just looking at someone’s birthdate, it could be very useful to better understand their health,” Dr Islam said. “If we know in advance, then we can change our lifestyle to better act on preserving our health and help prevent some of the damages our body may have experienced.”
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
