Health Octo Tool: Estimate Biological Age from Lab Data
Author: University of Washington School of Medicine/UW Medicine
Published: 6 May 2025 - Updated: 28 Aug 2026
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed | Charts, Graphs, Tables
Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content
Synopsis
This research introduces the Health Octo Tool, a novel health assessment method developed by University of Washington School of Medicine researchers and detailed in a peer-reviewed Nature Communications paper. The tool leverages eight metrics derived from standard physical exams and routine lab tests to provide a comprehensive measure of biological age, offering a more nuanced assessment than traditional health predictors that focus solely on individual diseases. By analyzing extensive longitudinal data, the researchers established metrics such as Body Clock, Body Age, system-specific aging rates, and disability-related clocks, which collectively allow for individualized tracking of how each organ system and the whole body age over time. This approach, grounded in the concept of "health entropy," captures the cumulative molecular and cellular damage affecting organ function and overall well-being. Notably, the tool highlights that even seemingly minor untreated conditions, like early-life hypertension, can significantly accelerate aging, underscoring the importance of early intervention.
The Health Octo Tool's rigorous validation across large population datasets and its pending digital application make it a promising resource for clinicians, seniors, people with disabilities, and anyone interested in monitoring and potentially improving their health trajectory through targeted lifestyle or medical interventions.*
At a Glance
- 1 - The tool rests on a concept called health entropy. It measures the molecular and cellular damage the body gathers over time.
- 2 - Researchers found that organ systems age at different rates rather than in unison. This insight led to system-specific clocks that track each system separately.
- 3 - The method draws on the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging, one of the longest-running studies of adults. It was then validated against two further studies covering more than 45,000 adults.
- 4 - A Body Organ Disease Number scores how many organ systems are affected by disease, ranging from 1 to 14. A digital application is now in development so people and their providers can track aging and gauge the effect of lifestyle changes.
Topic Definition
- Health Octo Tool
The Health Octo Tool is a health-assessment method created by researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine that estimates a person's biological age using information already gathered during a standard physical exam and routine laboratory tests. Rather than judging health one disease at a time, it draws on eight linked metrics - including the Body Clock, Body Age, system-specific clocks and aging rates, and clocks tied to walking speed and disability - to describe how the whole body and each organ system are aging. The approach is built on the idea of health entropy, meaning the accumulated molecular and cellular damage that gradually erodes how organs and systems function. Because it captures the interplay among conditions and shows how even small untreated problems, such as early hypertension, can speed aging, the tool is designed to help clinicians and individuals spot risks sooner and measure how diet, exercise, and treatments influence a person's pace of aging over time.
Overview
A novel health-assessment tool uses eight metrics derived from a person's physical exam and routine lab tests to characterize biological age. It may be able to predict a person's risk of disability and death better than current health predictors. University of Washington School of Medicine researchers describe their method in a May 5 Nature Communication paper.
The method, called the Health Octo Tool, might make it possible to identify new factors that affect aging, and to design interventions that prolong life, said the report's first author, Dr. Shabnam Salimi. She is a physician-scientist and acting instructor in the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine. She is also an investigator at the UW Medicine Healthy Aging & Longevity Research Institute
Current health-assessment methods focus on the effects of individual diseases but fail to consider the interactions among diseases and the impact of minor disorders on overall health, Salimi said.
"An aging-based framework offers a new path to discover biomarkers and therapeutics that target organ-specific or whole-body aging, rather than individual diseases," Salimi said.
The approach is based on a concept of aging called "health entropy." The term applies to the amount of molecular and cellular damage the body has accumulated over time, and how that damage has affected organ and system function. Thus, health entropy could serve as a measure of an individual's overall physical well-being and be translated to describe a person's pace of aging.
The researchers analyzed data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging, one of the longest-running studies of adults as they grow older. The data included participants' medical history and the results of their physical exams and medical tests. To validate their new approach, researchers then analyzed the results of two other large studies that traced the health of more than 45,000 adults.
The researchers began by establishing what they called a Body Organ Disease Number. This was based on the number of organ systems, such as cardiovascular, respiratory and central nervous systems, that were affected by disease and whether the individual had experienced cancer or a stroke. This score could range from 1 to 14.
"Our findings demonstrated that organ systems age at different rates, prompting us to develop a Bodily System-Specific Age metric to reflect the aging rate of each organ system and the Bodily-Specific Clock to represent each organ system's intrinsic biological age," Salimi said. "Extending this concept to the whole body, we define the Body Clock as a composite measure of overall intrinsic age and Body Age as the corresponding rate of aging."
Because not all people of the same biological age experience the same functional decline, the researchers also developed what they called a Speed-Body Clock and Speed-Body Age to describe how biological age affects walking speed, a common measure of function in older people. They also created a Disability-Body Clock and Disability Body Age, to gauge how intrinsic aging affects the risk of cognitive and physical disability.
"Collectively, these eight metrics - Body Clock, Body Age, system-specific clocks and rates, Speed- and Disability-based clocks - offer a way to view an individual's aging process with information gathered from their medical history, physical exam and test results alone," Salimi said.
Of particular interest was the finding that some conditions that might be considered minor problems, such as untreated hypertension early in life, can have a major effect on aging later, indicating that early treatment of these conditions might have a big impact, Salimi said.
The research team is now developing a digital application that will allow individuals, with their healthcare providers, to determine their body and organ's biological ages and track their rate of aging and assess the effect of lifestyle changes and treatments.
"Whether someone is adopting a new diet, exercise routine or taking longevity targeting drugs, they will be able to visualize how their body - and each organ system - is responding," she said.
Authors and Funding
Daniel Raftery, professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the UW School of Medicine and director of the Northwest Metabolomics Research Center, and Dr. Luigi Ferrucci, scientific director of the National Institute on Aging, are the senior co-authors of the Nature Communications paper.
The research was supported by a National Institutes of Health grant from the U.S. National Institute on Aging (K01AG059898).
Frequently Asked Questions
NOTE: Researched FAQs by Disabled World (DW)
Who developed the Health Octo Tool
It was developed by researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine, with first author Dr. Shabnam Salimi. The senior co-authors were Daniel Raftery of UW Medicine and Dr. Luigi Ferrucci of the National Institute on Aging.
What is the difference between biological age and chronological age
Chronological age is simply the number of years a person has lived, while biological age reflects how well the body and its organs are actually functioning. Two people born on the same day can have very different biological ages depending on health and lifestyle.
Where was the research on the Health Octo Tool published
The findings appeared in a peer-reviewed Nature Communications paper published in May 2025. The work was supported by a grant from the U.S. National Institute on Aging.
What kinds of tests does the tool rely on
It uses data from a standard physical exam and routine laboratory tests rather than specialized or costly procedures. This makes it practical to apply within ordinary clinical care.
Can the Health Octo Tool help reverse aging
The tool itself does not reverse aging but measures the pace at which a person is aging. It is intended to help people and clinicians see how lifestyle changes and treatments affect that pace over time.
Is the Health Octo Tool available to the public yet
The research team is developing a digital application for use by individuals alongside their healthcare providers. At the time of publication that application was still in development rather than widely released.
Why does the tool focus on aging instead of individual diseases
Traditional methods assess diseases one at a time and can miss how conditions interact or how minor disorders affect overall health. An aging-based framework aims to capture whole-body and organ-specific decline for a fuller picture.
How could the Health Octo Tool benefit people with disabilities and seniors
It includes disability and walking-speed clocks that gauge how aging affects physical and cognitive function. This can help identify risks earlier and support more proactive, personalized care.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The Health Octo Tool represents a significant advancement in personalized medicine, shifting the focus from disease-specific assessments to a holistic understanding of the aging process. By quantifying biological age through accessible clinical data, it empowers healthcare providers to identify and address age-related risks proactively. This approach not only enhances the potential for early intervention but also aligns with the growing emphasis on preventative care, particularly for populations vulnerable to accelerated aging, such as the elderly and those with chronic conditions. As the tool evolves into a digital application, it promises to become an integral part of routine healthcare, facilitating informed decisions that promote longevity and quality of life.*
Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by University of Washington School of Medicine/UW Medicine and published on 6 May 2025, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.
* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.