Scientists at Osaka University have developed a new AI-powered method to estimate biological age, providing a more accurate measure of how well a person’s body has aged, rather than just counting years since birth. Their study, published in Science Advances, suggests that hormones—specifically steroid metabolism—hold the key to understanding aging.
Using only five drops of blood, this method analyzes 22 key steroid hormones and their interactions, allowing for a more precise health assessment. The findings could revolutionize personalized health care, enabling early detection of age-related diseases and customized lifestyle interventions.
Why Biological Age Matters
Aging is influenced by genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors, meaning two people of the same age can have very different biological aging rates. Traditional ways of estimating biological age rely on DNA markers or protein levels, but these methods don’t fully capture the complex hormonal networks that regulate the body’s health.
“Our bodies rely on hormones to maintain internal balance, so we thought, why not use these as key indicators of aging?” said Dr. Qiuyi Wang, co-first author of the study.
AI Model Tracks Hormone Interactions for a More Accurate Age Estimate
The researchers built a deep neural network (DNN) AI model that analyzes steroid metabolism. Instead of looking at absolute hormone levels, which can vary widely between individuals, the model focuses on steroid ratios, revealing more meaningful aging patterns.
By training the AI on hundreds of blood samples, they discovered that biological age differences become more pronounced with time—similar to how a river widens as it flows downstream.
Stress Hormones Accelerate Aging
One of the most striking findings involved cortisol, the hormone released during stress. The study found that when cortisol levels doubled, biological age increased by 1.5 times. This suggests that chronic stress significantly accelerates aging at a biochemical level.
“We often talk about stress in general terms, but this provides concrete evidence that stress has a measurable impact on biological aging,” said Professor Toshifumi Takao, an expert in analytical chemistry and mass spectrometry.
Future Applications: Personalized Health Monitoring
The ability to measure biological aging through a simple blood test could lead to:
- Early disease detection – Identifying risks for age-related conditions before symptoms appear.
- Personalized wellness plans – Custom lifestyle recommendations to slow aging.
- Stress management interventions – Helping individuals lower cortisol levels to maintain long-term health.
“This is just the beginning,” said Dr. Z. Wang, a corresponding author of the study. “By incorporating more biological markers, we hope to refine the model and unlock deeper insights into the aging process.”
As AI and biomedical research continue to advance, the dream of accurately measuring—and possibly slowing—biological aging is becoming more realistic. For now, this breakthrough could transform preventive healthcare, helping individuals better understand and manage their personal aging journey.
If you care about wellness, please read studies about how ultra-processed foods and red meat influence your longevity, and why seafood may boost healthy aging.
For more health information, please see recent studies that olive oil may help you live longer, and vitamin D could help lower the risk of autoimmune diseases.
The research findings can be found in Science Advances.
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