News Health & Medicine

Organ age, not just your birthday, may determine your health risks

People with “young” brains and immune systems outlive those with old ones

Chalkboard felt diagram of internal organs in the body. Organ age, measured by wear and tear over time, may be a strong indicator of health.

In a new study, researchers estimated the biological age of 11 organs: the brain, muscle, heart, lung, arteries, liver, kidneys, pancreas, immune system, intestine and fat.

Carol Yepes/Getty Images

By Celina Zhao

You could be 45 on paper but 60 in your kidneys.

Turns out, your organs have birthdays of their own — and how well they’re faring may set the pace for your health, researchers report July 9 in Nature Medicine.