New research from the Dog Aging Project shows biological signals that help predict lifespan in people also appear in dogs. The study appears in The Journals of Gerontology and the work is supported by the WoodNext Foundation.
Researchers analyzed blood samples and owner surveys from a long-term community science study. They measured thousands of metabolites, which are small chemicals from normal body processes, and looked for groups of molecules that form a pattern or "fingerprint." These measurable patterns are called biomarkers. To check if the same signals appear in people, the team compared dog results with five large published human studies and found similar links to earlier or later death.
Difficult words
- metabolite — Small chemicals produced by normal body processes.metabolites
- biomarker — Measurable pattern of molecules linked to health.biomarkers
- lifespan — Length of time a living thing lives.
- community — A group of people in the same area.
- survey — A set of questions answered by people.surveys
- predict — To say what will happen in the future.
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Discussion questions
- Do you think research with pets can help human health? Why or why not?
- Would you answer an owner survey about your pet? What would you include?
- What examples of health information could a blood test for a pet give?
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