There are two types of age in a human being. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo's real age is 38 years old but the biological age of his body is the same as a 23-year-old person because he is well taken care of. According to the latest research conducted by scientists from King's College London, the biological age of mental patients is older than their actual age. This is the reason why they usually have shorter lives and suffer from diseases that are usually only found in older individuals.
Data from 176 blood metabolites from 110,780 UK Biobank participants were analyzed by Dr Julian Mutz and Prof Cathryn Lewis. Metabolite profiles from participants who said they had mental illness issues were found to be older than expected. For example, those with bipolar disorder have a metabolite profile 2 years older than their physical age.
The results of the study were presented at The European Congress of Psychiatry. According to Dr. Mutz, the results of his joint study may change the way the physical health of people with mental illness is monitored and the way to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments aimed at improving physical health.
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