A team of scientists in Germany just created a new blood test that is incredibly accurate at predicting when someone's going to die.
The test analyzes a person's blood, looks for risk signs, and predicts whether the person is going to die in the next five to 10 years...with 80% accuracy! So if it tells you you've got less than a decade left, it's probably right.
And the team isn't done . . ."We see this as a foundation, we do not see this test as an endpoint."
The researcher say they want to use the test results to address medical issues in patients who have a high "biological age." For example, if you're 35 but have the health of a 60 year old, your issues could be detected and treated , with the hope of resolving those issues, and helping you live longer.
"As researchers on aging, we are keen to determine the biological age. The calendar age just doesn't say very much about the general state of health of elderly people: one 70-year-old is healthy, while another may already be suffering from three diseases," study director Professor Eline Slagboom said in a statement. He added, "We now have a set of biomarkers which may help to identify vulnerable elderly people, who could subsequently be treated."
So the question is: Would you want to know?
I can tell you with complete certainty, I have absolutely no desire to know when my time is up. Nope. Pass. There's no way I'd take that blood test. I'm not afraid of death, but there's no reason I'd need to know how much longer I've got. I'd rather just keep on truckin' along and be just as surprised by my demise as everyone else.
[TIME]