Dogs may hold surprising clues to human longevity
Dogs and humans may have more in common when it comes to aging than scientists realized. Researchers with the Dog Aging Project found that patterns of small molecules in dogs’ blood were linked to longer or shorter lifespans in remarkably similar ways to those seen in people. These metabolic “fingerprints” could offer clues about the biological processes that drive aging, including metabolism,…
Recent research from the Dog Aging Project suggests that dogs and humans may share similar biological patterns related to lifespan. The study, published in The Journals of Gerontology, analyzed metabolites, small chemicals created during normal bodily processes, in dogs and found that certain combinations were linked to earlier or later death in both species.
These metabolic patterns closely resembled those previously identified in humans, indicating shared features of aging biology between dogs and humans. Dr. Kate Creevy, chief veterinary officer for the Dog Aging Project, emphasized that pet dogs provide a valuable model for studying long-term health and lifespan. By examining blood samples from dogs participating in the project, researchers were able to identify metabolic patterns associated with mortality, which could potentially lead to new insights into aging mechanisms.
The findings also suggest that these shared biological features could allow scientists to leverage human research to improve canine health, while also using dogs to study aging across an entire lifespan.
Written by urgent.news from ScienceDaily Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- Dogs may hold surprising clues to human longevity sciencedaily.com
