"Blood Death test" reveals if you'll be alive in five years

Would you want to know whether you will die within the next five years?

Scientists have developed a ‘death test’ that can reveal if you will be still alive in five years.

It uses a sample of blood to identify those at high risk of being killed by diseases ranging from heart disease to cancer.

The test’s Finnish and Estonian creators hope it will collaborate in identifying people with hidden disease who could benefit from lifesaving treatment.

The researchers tested blood samples from more than 17,000 generally healthy people for more than 100 different chemicals.

This revealed four chemical signals, or biomarkers, that predict a high risk of dying from any disease within five years.

The finding held even when the researchers took into account other factors that affect health such as smoking, obesity, drinking, age, blood pressure and cholesterol.

Researcher Johannes Kettunen, of the Institute for Molecular Medicine in Finland, said: ‘What is especially interesting is that these biomarkers reflect the risk for death from very different types of diseases such as heart disease or cancer. They seem to be signs of a general frailty in the body."

He stressed, however, that more studies are needed before the test is ready for widespread use.