Metabolomic profiles obtained from finger-prick samples indicate disease risk up to 10 years before clinical onset.

Dakila News
2 hours ago
2 min read

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Researchers have announced a discovery that could change the way we take care of our health: a blood test done with just a finger prick can predict risks of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, dementia, and heart problems up to ten years before symptoms appear.

This advance was made possible by a study from the UK Biobank, which analyzed blood samples from 500,000 volunteers, measuring nearly 250 different molecules—proteins, sugars, fats, amino acids, and other metabolites.

These complex molecular profiles offer an in-depth portrait of each person's physiology.

Changes in metabolic profiles can indicate that something is wrong: if an organ is diseased, some metabolites change levels. For example, if the liver fails, ammonia levels increase; if the kidneys don't function well, urea levels rise; and if there is muscle damage, lactate levels may increase.

Based on these patterns, scientists can estimate the future risk of various diseases.

According to researchers, this type of test could be a game-changer for preventive medicine. Instead of waiting for the disease to appear, it will be possible to identify early signs and take proactive measures — lifestyle changes, medical follow-up, and interventions before it's too late.

Accessible language: (News produced with AI) A recent study based on the UK Biobank, in partnership with Nightingale Health, analyzed blood samples from 500,000 participants to quantify approximately 250 circulating metabolites, including amino acids, lipids, hormonal precursors, and waste products such as urea.

These profiles provide a detailed picture of individual physiology that goes beyond genomic information, integrating environmental influences, lifestyle, and genetic predisposition.

Characteristic alterations in these profiles are associated with organ dysfunction: a compromised liver can elevate ammonia, an affected kidney can cause elevated urea and creatinine, and damaged muscle cells release lactate; in cancer, an increase in glucose uptake is observed.

The captured molecular dynamics are sensitive and monitorable over time, offering predictive signals before the disease manifests clinically. According to the scientists, metabolomic profiles are "highly dynamic" and reflect both genetic predisposition and environmental exposures, such as diet, pollution, and stress.

The possibility of performing simple finger-prick tests makes this type of assessment scalable for population screening and preventive medicine. Among the most promising applications is dementia prediction: using these profiles, researchers believe it will be possible to identify people at high risk 10 to 15 years before the onset of the disease, enabling early interventions.

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Metabolomic profiles obtained from finger-prick samples indicate disease risk up to 10 years before clinical onset.

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