Scientists in Germany have discovered 14 biomarkers in blood that appear to affect the risk of death, after analysing 44,000 people.
The biomarkers are associated with everything from immunity and glucose control to circulating fat and inflammation.
A trial of the biomarkers found they were 83 per cent accurate at predicting whether someone would die in the following two to 16 years.
The methodology has yet to be rolled out in a conventional blood test, such as those used to check if a patient has an infection.
The scientists hope the results could lead to a blood test may one day be used to guide a patient’s treatment, such as assessing whether an elderly person is too frail for surgery.
