Blood Biomarkers Can Predict Multimorbidity

TUESDAY, Jan. 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Common blood biomarkers can predict multimorbidity, according to a study published online Jan. 2 in Nature Medicine.Alice Margherita Ornago, from the University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy, and colleagues analyzed 54 blood biomarkers reflecting inflammatory, vascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative processes in 2,247 individuals aged 60 years and older from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen to examine the biological underpinnings of multimorbidity. Three measures were used to assess multimorbidity: baseline total disease count, baseline multimorbidity patterns identified through latent class analysis, and 15-year rate of disease accumulation.The researchers found consistent and positive associations for growth differentiation factor 15, hemoglobin A1c, cystatin C, leptin, and insulin with all multimorbidity measures. Specific associations with distinct multimorbidity patterns were demonstrated for additional biomarkers. A direct association was seen for faster disease accumulation with gamma-glutamyl transferase, while an inverse association was seen with albumin. External validation of longitudinal results was performed in 522 participants from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, with comparable predictive accuracy."Our study suggests that disturbances in metabolism, stress responses, and energy regulation are among the main drivers of multimorbidity in older people," principal author Davide Liborio Vetrano, M.D., Ph.D., from Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, said in a statement. "This opens up the possibility of using simple blood tests to identify high-risk individuals, enabling earlier intervention in the future."Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Blood Biomarkers Can Predict Multimorbidity

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