Analyzing certain proteins in the blood would make it possible to determine the way of life, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Scientific Reports.
Researchers at Umeå University in Sweden set out to understand whether a person’s lifestyle could be reflected in blood levels of 160 different proteins.
Today, it is possible to measure the levels of hundreds of proteins in less than a drop of blood. Scientists hope that one or more of the proteins could one day be used to detect and predict diseases such as diabetes, the cardiovascular illnesses where the Cancer. Previous studies have shown that the smoking, physical activity and alcohol consumption affect health and probably also the composition of proteins in the blood. The researchers want to identify, using a blood test, the behaviors that can impact the levels of disease biomarkers, for a more personalized diagnosis according to the lifestyle of each patient.
Behavior-related protein levels
The researchers conducted a study with 138 participants for whom two blood samples were taken ten years apart.
Following the analyses, they observed that several proteins were linked to different behaviors related to lifestyle, such as the consumption of beer, wine, smoking or physical activity.
The strongest relationship was observed between the consumption of snus, a snuff and high levels of a protein, cornulin.
“Knowing this type of association is important if you want to use blood markers for certain diseases, because lifestyle factors can influence baseline levels,” says Robin Myte, one of the researchers at the study.
Read also:
Lifestyle, a poorly understood risk factor for brain health
What is the least “healthy” country in the world?
Eat better to live longer in good health
