A new study published in The Lancet Digital Health suggests that biological age of different organs could predict a person's risk of diseases such as cancer, dementia, and heart disease than their actual chronological age. The research analyzed long-term data from Whitehall II study, which had been followed by over 10,000 British adults for more than 35 years.

The blood plasma samples were collected between 1997 and 1999 from participants between ages 45 to 69. Researchers have now examined a follow up data from 6,235 participants, who were by then aged 65 to 89. This was done to see how aging of specific organ may correlate with the development of diseases over two decades.

What Organs Were Studied?

The study measured the biological age of nine key organs, including:

• Heart
• Blood vessels
• Liver
• Immune system
• Pancreas
• Kidneys
• Lungs
• Intestines
• Brain

The researchers were able to find that different organs aged at different rates in different people. In many of the cases multiple organs showed signs of faster aging within the same individual. What is important to note is that those with accelerated aging in certain organs had a higher risk of developing 30 out of the 40 age-related diseases the study had tracked.

Organ Aging And Disease Risk

Some organ-disease connections were expected—people with rapidly aging lungs were more likely to develop respiratory diseases, and those with aging kidneys had an increased risk of kidney-related conditions. However, the study also found less obvious associations.

For example, individuals with fast-aging kidneys were more prone to diseases in other organs, such as the liver and pancreas. Additionally, multiple fast-aging organs were linked to an increased risk of kidney disease.

One of the most surprising findings was that dementia risk was not best predicted by an aging brain but rather by the immune system’s biological age. This suggests that factors such as chronic inflammation and immune health may play a critical role in neurodegenerative diseases.

What Is Organ Specific Blood Tests?

The study also highlights the important of the potential of developing blood tests that could assess the biological age of specific organs. Unlike previous complex methods that measured the organ health, this new approach could make things simple to detect early signs of disease.

The leader author of the study Mika Kivimaki, who is also a professor at the University College London's Faculty of Brain sciences pointed out that such tests could be helpful when it comes to guiding personalized healthcare. In a news release, Kivimaki said, "They could advise whether a person needs to take better care of a particular organ and potentially provide an early warning signal that they may be at risk of a particular disease."

The study reinforces the idea that aging does not affect all organs equally and that looking beyond chronological age could offer better insights into disease prevention. By understanding which organs are aging more rapidly, medical professionals may be able to recommend targeted interventions for individuals at higher risk of specific conditions. Future advancements in organ-specific blood testing could revolutionize how we detect and manage age-related diseases, potentially leading to more personalized healthcare strategies.

Hypertension affects nearly 1.28 billion adults globally, it is a condition that can have different effects on your body. These effects range from elevated heart rate to severe damage to our body’s organs.

According to the World Health Organization, blood pressure is considered dangerous and high when the pressure levels in your blood range from 140/90 mmHg or higher. Interestingly, people with hypertension may often show symptoms and the only way to know is by checking your blood pressure. However, the effect of elevated blood pressure becomes apparent when different organs start getting affected by it.

You might know high blood pressure affects your heart, but it can also silently harm your eyes. The delicate blood vessels in your eyes are vulnerable to high pressure, and if left uncontrolled, this can lead to several conditions that cause vision loss. From damaging the retina's blood supply to harming the optic nerve, high blood pressure poses a significant risk to your sight. We spoke to Dr. Charu Dutt Arora, Geriatrics & Palliative Care physician, based in Delhi, as well as a member of Doctube, about hypertension and its unexpected effect on our vision.

Unexpected Side Effects of High Blood Pressure

Most people know high blood pressure is bad for the heart and can cause stroke. " Over time, it can quietly damage your kidneys, eyes, and even your brain without you realizing it" explained Dr. Dutt. Some people might feel tired all the time, have trouble sleeping, or have issues with intimacy, but they might not think it's related to their blood pressure. Older people might also get dizzy or fall more easily because of it.

How Does High Blood Pressure Affect Your Vision?

If your blood pressure stays high consistently, it can damage the tiny blood vessels in your eyes. This can lead to blurry vision, seeing spots (floaters), or even losing your vision permanently. People who've had high blood pressure for a long time or whose blood pressure isn't well-controlled are more likely to have these eye problems, according to Dr. Dutt, “People with long-standing or poorly controlled blood pressure are more likely to have these changes, especially if they don’t get regular eye check-ups. It’s something we often catch late—but it can be prevented with good control and timely screening.”

How Does Long-Term High Blood Pressure Impact Daily Life?

Dr. Dutt shares that high blood pressure doesn't just affect your health; it can change how you live every day. Many of my patients feel stressed or worried, especially when their blood pressure goes up and down or when they must take many different medicines. Some say they don't go out as much or travel because they feel too tired or must be careful about what they eat. “I've also seen older patients have problems with hearing, dizziness, or even memory. It's all connected. Dealing with a long-term illness like high blood pressure can also be hard emotionally and financially.”

Temporary vs. Permanent Vision Changes Due to High Blood Pressure

"Yes, it can cause temporary vision changes like blurriness or tunnel vision, especially during sudden spikes in blood pressure. These may settle once the blood pressure is under control. " Dr Dutt further explained how these changes might go away once your blood pressure is back to normal but if these spikes keep happening or if you ignore the symptoms, the damage to your eyes, especially the retina or the nerve that connects your eye to your brain, can become permanent. That's why it's so important to get your eyes checked regularly if you have high blood pressure.

How Are Screen Time and Vision Problems Linked To High BP

Looking at screens for too long isn't a direct cause of eye damage from high blood pressure, but it can make things worse. It can make your eyes tired, dry, and blurry, which can hide early signs of damage caused by high blood pressure. " Plus, if screen time affects your sleep (thanks to all that blue light), that can adversely affect your blood pressure control too. So yes, it’s something we should be mindful of, especially in patients who are already dealing with hypertension" So, it's something to be careful about, especially if you already have high blood pressure.

Dr. Dutt concluded that high blood pressure isn’t just limited to affecting your heart but affects many areas of one’s life. “With regular monitoring, the right treatment, and a healthy lifestyle, we can protect our visions as well as bodily health”

Pets are one of the best additions to families. While their form of communication may be different, they grow to share a special bond with us. Pets are recommended by many specialists, healthcare professionals, people who work with children development etc. While you may have come across many ‘why you should become a pet parent’ or ‘how your pets help children develop’ articles, one must make sure they check all potential points before making the leap.

Becoming a pet parent is a big deal, not just as a financial commitment, but it will also affect different aspects of your life like your social life, your professional life etc. Another aspect one should be aware of is the role it could play in affecting your child’s health. If you are wondering about pet hair and dander allergies, they are the least of your worries. There are other things that you should take precautions against and ensure proper steps, which will not only keep your kid safe, but also the pet, happy and healthy.

Pets Can Help Us Tackle Loneliness

According to the Journal of Advanced Pediatrics and Child Health traditional pets can lessen loneliness and quickly improve mental wellness in humans. While much focus has been on adults, newer research highlights the potential positive effects of pet ownership on children's emotional, cognitive, behavioral, educational, and social growth. However, this growth also comes with risks.

Even though pets are great, they can also bring germs into the house. Kids are more likely to get sick from these germs than adults. This is because kids might not have all their shots yet and their bodies aren't as good at fighting off sickness. Also, kids might get bitten by a pet they know because they have lots of energy and do things that can make the animal feel like it needs to protect itself.

Common Pet and Common Germs

Most people in America have "regular" pets like dogs and cats. We love them like furry friends, but they can carry germs that can make kids sick. Dogs, especially, can spread different kinds of bacteria that parents should know about, like Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium difficile, and Pasteurella.

If you have a puppy, there's a higher chance of getting a germ called Campylobacter jejuni. It's not always the dog's fault, though. Dogs often get this germ from eating leftover food from the kitchen. Then, the dog can pass it on to the child. Kids who get this might have diarrhea, fever, and stomach pain. Sometimes, the germ can get into the blood after the stomach problems start. Usually, the body fights it off quickly. But if a child has a weak immune system, the sickness might come back.

When dogs lick or "kiss" kids, they can easily pass on Clostridium difficile. This germ can also cause diarrhea and stomach cramps because it makes a big part of the gut swollen.

Dogs and cats have Pasteurella germs in their noses and throats. If a dog or cat scratches a child, these germs can get in. The most common problem is a skin infection called cellulitis. Sometimes, it can also cause infections in the brain, bones, or lungs.

Germs More Common with Cats

While both dogs and cats can give kids Pasteurella, some germs are more likely to come from cats. One common one is Toxoplasma gondii. Kids usually get it by eating or swallowing something that has cat poop in it. This can happen easily because kids are curious and might touch the cat's litter box. The sickness feels like the flu, with fever, swollen glands, body aches, and feeling tired.

Cats also often carry Bartonella germs, which they get from fleas or from other sick cats. Many healthy cats, especially kittens, have this in their blood. If a child gets Bartonella, they might have swollen and sore glands a week or two after being around a cat, a scab where the germ got in, and sometimes heart problems. Kids under 15 get sick most often, but it's also important to watch out if a child has a weak immune system.

Animals can naturally have germs that can pass to kids, especially those with weak immune systems. It's important for parents to know the signs of these illnesses and the germs that their pets might carry, especially if they have young children at home.

As summer sets in and swimming season kicks off, you might notice a familiar sight: your fingertips turning wrinkly after a long soak in water. But what may seem like a simple quirk of nature is actually a complex biological response — and it’s more consistent and significant than you might think.

It’s Not Just Skin Swelling

For a long time, people assumed that "pruney" fingers were just a result of water making the skin swell. But Guy German, a biomedical engineering professor at Binghamton University (State University of New York), has found otherwise. According to German, the wrinkling is caused by blood vessels under the skin constricting, not the skin absorbing water.

This reaction is part of a natural nervous system response and has evolved to possibly improve grip in wet conditions — think of it as nature’s own anti-slip mechanism.

Do the Wrinkles Always Look the Same?

That’s the question that sparked the latest round of research. German had already explored the phenomenon back in 2023. But when a student asked whether these wrinkles always formed the same way, he realized no one had ever looked into that specific detail.

This curiosity led to a new study published in the Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. Working with graduate student Rachel Laytin, German set out to test whether wrinkle patterns were repeatable.

Participants soaked their fingers in water for 30 minutes, had their wrinkles photographed, and then repeated the experiment at least a day later. The results showed that the patterns — loops, ridges, and furrows — consistently reappeared in the same way.

Why the Patterns Stay the Same

The explanation lies beneath the skin. “Blood vessels don’t change their position much,” said German. “They move a bit, but in relation to other vessels, they’re mostly static. That means the wrinkles should form the same way — and they do.”

In other words, the architecture of your vascular system shapes your wrinkle pattern like a biological blueprint.

What Happens When Nerves Are Damaged?

One unexpected discovery was that some people don’t wrinkle at all — specifically, those with median nerve damage in their hands. In one case, a student volunteered that they had such damage. When tested, their fingers showed no wrinkling after soaking.

This lack of response confirms that the wrinkling process is neurologically driven — not just a passive reaction to water.

Implications for Forensics

The research has potential applications beyond the pool. Forensic investigators, for example, could use wrinkle patterns to help identify bodies that have been exposed to water or assist in fingerprint analysis where traditional methods might fail.

German, whose father was a police officer, says the work feels personally relevant. “Biometrics and fingerprints are built into my brain,” he shared. “This stuff is just fascinating.”

With so much still unknown about skin and its responses, German and his team are excited to keep digging into the science. “I feel like a kid in a candy store,” he said. “There’s so much here that I don’t know — and that’s the fun part.”