Cholesterol levels. Red and white blood cell counts. Nutritional deficiencies. You already know that a simple blood test can tell you a lot about your health.
But your "biological" age? Or whether you're depressed? You may be surprised at all the information a doctor can draw out of your arm or the tip of your finger.
"Every one of us has between 1,000 and 2,000 measurable proteins in our blood," says Stefan Enroth, PhD, an associate professor of immunology at Sweden's Uppsala University. Each of those proteins performs several tasks, he says, and the more researchers learn about them, the more they'll be able to tell you about what's going on throughout the rest of your body.
More From Bicycling
The tests below are all in development and have huge potential for medical diagnoses and treatment plans. Read on for all the surprising things they could reveal.
RELATED: 12 Foods That Lower Cholesterol Naturally
1. Your true age
Compared to your "chronological age," which is the amount of time that has elapsed since you were born, your "biological age" refers to how old your body and internal systems seem compared to other folks in your age group, Enroth explains. So while you may be 52, your biological age may more closely resemble a healthy 48-year-old's.
In a 2015 study, Enroth and colleagues found they could identify this biological age by modeling the protein levels and types in 1,000 people's blood samples. By comparing your blood to this model's, they can gauge how you stack up, he says.
While smoking, a high BMI, and slurping sugar-sweetened beverages tacks 2 to 6 years onto your biological age, ditching those habits in favor of regular exercise knocks off the same number of years, his research shows.
2. Your risk for Alzheimer's—10 years from now
Your blood's levels of a small group of proteins may indicate whether you'll develop Alzheimer's disease 10 years before any symptoms appear, according to a 2015 study from UK researchers. The research is still preliminary. But the study authors say identifying at-risk individuals earlier may help lead to more effective treatments. (Here are 9 ways to control your Alzheimer's risk.)
3. Whether you've suffered a concussion
Docs have long struggled to come up with a protocol that accurately assesses whether you've suffered a concussion—a traumatic brain injury that, for some, may not result in any obvious symptoms in the hours or days following the event. That's a big problem—especially for athletes—because suffering a second blow to the head too soon after a concussion can be deadly or result in long-term cognitive problems. Concussions have even been linked to Alzheimer's later in life. (Boost your memory and age-proof your mind with these natural solutions.)
But a recent study in JAMA Neurology details a simple blood test that—again, using protein markers—could reveal whether you've had a concussion for up to 7 days after your bump on the head.
RELATED: 16 Highly Effective Migraine Solutions
4. Your dehydration levels
Dehydration puts stress on your heart, increases fatigue, and can make it hard to think clearly. And roughly 20% of older adults in assisted living facilities are dehydrated—mostly because they're simply not drinking enough fluids, research suggests. But that same research effort has identified a blood test that can tell whether you're dangerously parched. Especially for those older adults who may not recognize when they've swallowed too little water, the test could save lives, the researchers say.
5. The severity of your blues
It can be tough for some people (and their doctors) to differentiate between healthy, happens-to-all-of-us stretches of the blues and more sinister forms of clinical depression. And for years, experts believed it really wasn't possible to identify mood disorders using blood tests or brain scans. But a recent study from Austria identified a specific kind of brain chemical—also found in your blood—that can indicate whether you're low on happiness hormones. The blood test may help doctors prescribe more effective drugs to treat clinical depression, the Austrian researchers say.
6. Every cold you've ever had
Like a goopy red medical record coursing through your veins, your blood can reveal to doctors every virus or cold you've ever endured. According to a recent study in the journal Science, your body develops antibodies in response to the illnesses you fend off. And those antibodies continue to kick around in your bloodstream for the remainder of your life.
Apart from helping doctors learn more about how past illnesses affect your immune system, knowing which antibodies are present in your blood may help your MD prescribe more effective drugs or remedies, the study authors say.
RELATED: 9 Power Foods That Boost Immunity
7. If you're at risk for alcoholism
A specific blood chemical called "PEth" may be elevated among people who are biologically prone to alcoholism, finds research from Alcohol and Alcoholism. The University of Illinois study authors found a jump in blood PEth among college kids who frequently engaged in binge drinking. The blood chemical has been linked to alcoholism among older adults, and may help doctors provide more effective treatment for alcohol abusers, the U of I researchers say.
RELATED: 6 Sneaky Signs You Drink Too Much
8. Your out-of-control anxiety
Anxiety is the physical side of stress or worry—the tension in your shoulders, say, or a racing heart. And researchers from Hebrew University in Jerusalem say they can spot that anxiety in your blood by looking for a specific type of protein your body releases when you're frazzled. By checking for this protein, docs may soon be able to determine whether your anxiety is run-of-the-mill, or running out of control.
This article originally appeared in Prevention.
Markham Heid is an experienced health reporter and writer, has contributed to outlets like TIME, Men’s Health, and Everyday Health, and has received reporting awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Maryland, Delaware, and D.C. Press Association.
