As the population ages, the prevalence of multimorbidity – the coexistence of multiple chronic conditions – is rapidly increasing, posing a growing challenge for healthcare systems globally. Now, a new study from Karolinska institutet suggests a path toward proactive risk assessment, identifying seven blood markers linked to the advancement and progression of these complex illnesses. The research, involving data from over 2,200 individuals in Stockholm and validated by a U.S. cohort, points to a key role for metabolic processes in driving multimorbidity and offers hope for earlier interventions to improve health outcomes.
Common blood markers can predict which older adults will develop specific combinations of chronic diseases, and how quickly those conditions will progress, a new study from Karolinska Institutet reveals.
Living with multiple chronic conditions simultaneously, known as multimorbidity, is increasingly common among older adults and presents significant challenges for both individuals and healthcare systems. Now, researchers have identified a panel of biomarkers in the blood that may help forecast the risk of developing these complex health profiles.
The study involved analyzing data from over 2,200 individuals over the age of 60 residing in the general population of Stockholm.
Researchers analyzed blood samples from participants, examining 54 different biomarkers that reflect key biological processes including inflammation, cardiovascular health, metabolism, and neurodegeneration.
They then investigated the relationship between these blood markers and three measures of multimorbidity:
- Total number of diseases
- Five common disease patterns
- The rate at which diseases accumulate over a 15-year period
“We found that certain blood markers, particularly those linked to metabolism, were strongly associated with both specific combinations of diseases and the speed at which new conditions developed,” said Alice Margherita Ornago, doctoral student at the Aging Research Center and the Department of Neurobiology, Caring Sciences and Society at Karolinska Institutet, in a press release.
Seven Key Biomarkers Identified
The research team pinpointed seven blood markers as particularly important in estimating the risk of developing multiple chronic diseases.
Five of these – the protein GDF-15, HbA1c which reflects average blood sugar levels over the past few months, the protein cystatin C, a measure of kidney function, the hormone leptin which regulates hunger and satiety, and insulin – consistently correlated with all measures of multimorbidity examined in the study. This suggests these markers could be valuable tools for identifying individuals at higher risk.
Two additional markers – the enzyme gamma-glutamyltransferase, primarily found in liver cells, and albumin, the most abundant protein in blood – were specifically linked to the speed at which diseases progressed over time.
Metabolic Processes Drive Multimorbidity
The findings were further validated in an independent U.S. cohort of 522 participants, strengthening the reliability of the results.
“Our study suggests that disturbances in metabolism, stress responses, and energy regulation are key drivers of multimorbidity development in older adults,” explained Davide Liborio Vetrano, associate professor at the Department of Neurobiology, Caring Sciences and Society at Karolinska Institutet. “This opens the possibility of using simple blood tests to identify high-risk individuals, potentially enabling earlier interventions.”
The researchers are now planning to track how these blood markers change over time and investigate whether lifestyle modifications or medications can influence disease progression.
The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers from KTH and SciLifeLab in Sweden, University of Brescia and University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy, and the National Institute on Aging in the USA.
Scientific Article:
Shared and specific blood biomarkers for multimorbidity, Nature Medicine.
