Wellness Exchange: Health Discussions
Cheek Swab Test: Predicting Death Risk and Aging
(upbeat music) - Welcome to Listen2. This is Ted. The news was published on Tuesday, October 8th. Joining us today are Eric and Kate to discuss a fascinating new study on predicting aging and mortality risk. Let's dive right in. Eric, can you explain what cheekage is and how it works? - Sure thing, Ted. Cheekage is this super cool computational model that predicts your epigenetic age using methylation marks on DNA. It's like a high-tech fortune teller for your cells. The best part, it's trained on cheek cells collected through a simple, painless swab test, no needles, no fuss, just a quick swab and voila. - While that sounds all fancy and futuristic, I've got to say I'm pretty skeptical about its accuracy. How can a cheek swab possibly predict some of these complex-- - Hold up, Kate. I get your skepticism, but hear me out. Cheekage isn't just pulling numbers out of thin air. It analyzes around 200,000 methylation sites. That's a ton of data and links them to overall health and lifestyle scores. We're talking solid epigenetic science here. - But epigenetics is still a relatively new field. How can we trust that these methylation patterns truly reflect our biological age? It seems like-- - You both raise interesting points. Now let's discuss the study's methodology. Eric, can you break down how the researchers tested cheek ages effectiveness? - Absolutely, Ted. The researchers used data from the Lothian Birth Cohorts Program, a real gold mine of information. They tracked 1,000 other 13 individuals, born in 1921 and 1936. Every three years, they analyzed blood cell methylome data from these folks and then applied cheek age to predict mortality risk. It's like they had a time machine to peek into the future health of these participants. - Hold on a second. If cheek age is based on cheek cells, why are they using blood data? That seems inconsistent and potentially flawed. Aren't we comparing those to-- - Actually, Kate, that's what makes this study even more mind-blowing, despite being trained on cheek cells, cheek age accurately predicted mortality risk using blood data. This suggests there are common mortality signals across different tissues. It's like finding the same secret-- - I'm not buying it. - Couldn't this just be a coincidence or statistical fluke? We can't just assume this one study proves everything. There could be all sort of-- - The results are way too significant to be a fluke, Kate. Listen to this, for every standard deviation increase in cheek age, the hazard ratio of all cause mortality increased by 21%. That's huge. We're talking about a substantial and meaningful correlation here. It's like finding-- - But correlation doesn't imply causation. We need to be cautious about drawing sweeping conclusions from this single study. There could be other-- - Let's put this research into historical context. Can you think of a similar breakthrough in predicting health outcomes that caused a stir in the scientific community? - Oh, absolutely, Ted. This reminds me of the discovery of the Framingham Risk Score back in the late 1960s. It was a total game changer for predicting cardiovascular disease risk. Picture this. Doctors suddenly had a crystal ball for heart health. It was revolutionary. Hold your horses, Eric. The Framingham study was fundamentally different. It relied on easily measurable factors like blood pressure and cholesterol, not some esoteric genetic markers. We're talking-- - While the factors were different, Kate, the principle was similar. The Framingham study crunched data from thousands of participants over many years to create a predictive model for heart disease risk. It completely revolutionized preventive cardiology. Cheek Age is doing the same thing. - But the Framingham study had decades of follow-up data. This Cheek Age study seems premature in comparison. We can't just jump to-- - That's a fair point, Kate. But remember that the Framingham study started with just a few years of data, too. Its power grew over time. Cheek Age has the potential to follow a similar trajectory. It's like watching a seedling that could grow into a mighty oak of medical knowledge. - Interesting comparison. Now, how do you think the medical community might react to Cheek Age compared to how they received the Framingham risk score? - I believe the reception could be even more enthusiastic, Ted. The Framingham score required multiple tests and measurements. It was like a medical obstacle course. Cheek Age offers similar predictive power from a simple cheek swab. It's non-invasive and potentially more accessible. Imagine getting a snapshot of your health future just by swabbing your cheek. But the Framingham score was based on well-understood risk factors. Cheek Age relies on complex epigenetic data that many doctors might not fully grasp. We're asking medical professionals to try to-- - That's true, but it also offers a more comprehensive view of aging. While the Framingham score focused solely on heart disease, Cheek Age could potentially predict a wide range of age-related health issues. It's like upgrading from a magnifying glass to a-- - I'm concerned this could lead to overreliance on a single test, potentially overlooking other important health indicators. We can't just ignore traditional medical-- - On the contrary, I think it could compliment existing health assessments, providing doctors with an additional tool to gauge overall health and aging. It's not about replacing current methods, but enhancing them, think of it as adding another instrument to the medical orchestra. - Let's look to the future. How do you see Cheek Age potentially impacting healthcare in the coming years? Eric, what's your optimistic vision? - I envision Cheek Age becoming a routine part of preventive healthcare, Ted. Imagine annual checkups where a simple cheek swab could give doctors a comprehensive view of your biological age and potential health risks. It's like having a health crystal ball in every doctor's office. This could revolutionize how we approach aging and disease prevention. - That seems overly optimistic. What about privacy concerns? Do we really want our genetic information so easily accessible? It's like handing over the key-- - Valid concern, Kate, but with proper regulations, the benefits could far outweigh the risks. This could lead to truly personalized medicine, tailoring treatments and lifestyle recommendations based on individual epigenetic profiles. It's like having a custom-made health plan-- - But what about the potential for discrimination? Insurance companies or employers might use this information against people with higher biological ages. - We could be opening-- - That's why we need robust legislation to protect against such misuse. The potential for early intervention and prevention of age-related diseases is too valuable to ignore. It's like having a fire alarm for your health. Wouldn't you wanna know if there's a problem before it becomes a full-blown blaze? - Interesting perspectives. Now let's consider a more pessimistic scenario. Kate, what potential downsides do you foresee if Cheek Age becomes widely adopted? - I'm worried about the psychological impact, Ted. Imagine being told you're biologically older than your chronological age. It could lead to anxiety, depression, or even a fatalistic attitude towards health. People might start obsessing over their Cheek Age like it's some kind of biological expiration date. It's a recipe for widespread health anxiety. - But couldn't it also motivate people to make positive lifestyle changes? Knowledge is power, after all. If you knew you were aging faster, wouldn't you be more inclined to eat better? - Not necessarily. It might lead to an obsession with anti-aging treatments, potentially dangerous biohacks, or snake oil solutions promising to lower your Cheek Age. We could see a whole new industry of quacks and charlatans preying on people's-- - Those risks exist with or without Cheek Age. I believe most people would use this information responsibly under medical guidance. It's about empowering individuals to take control of their health-- - You're assuming equal access to medical guidance. This technology could widen health disparities if it's only available to the wealthy. We'd be creating a two-tiered health system-- - That's why it's crucial to work towards making it widely accessible. Imagine the potential for public health if we could track biological aging across populations. We could identify at-risk communities and intervene early. It's like having a health map of the entire country. - Well, this has certainly been an enlightening discussion. We've explored the potential benefits and risks of Cheek Age from revolutionizing preventive health care to concerns about privacy and psychological impact. It's clear that while this technology holds great promise, careful consideration and regulation will be crucial as we move forward. Thank you, Eric and Kate, for sharing your insights on this fascinating topic.