As per new research, a hormone that develops in men during puberty plays a critical role in predicting early in life whether a person will acquire specific diseases later in life.

Researchers from the University of Nottingham have found that the novel insulin-like peptide hormone INSL3, which is a crucial early biomarker for predicting age-related disease, is consistent across extended periods of time.

On November 13, Frontiers in Endocrinology published their most recent research findings. The same cells in the testes that produce testosterone also produce INSL3, but unlike testosterone, which varies over a man's lifetime, INSL3 is stable, with the level during puberty remaining basically constant and declining only slightly into old age.

When compared to any other measurable indicators, this makes it the first crystal-clear and trustworthy predictive biomarker of age-related morbidity. The findings indicate that a number of age-related diseases, including bone thinning, sexual dysfunction, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, are correlated with blood levels of INSL3.

A man who has high INSL3 when he is young will still have high INSL3, according to the hormone's constant nature, which has been discovered. However, someone who has low INSL3 from a young age will continue to have low INSL3 as they age, rendering them more susceptible to developing common age-related disorders.

This creates the intriguing potential for anticipating age-related disorders and figuring out how to intervene early to stop these diseases from developing.

The research was led by Professor Ravinder Anand-Ivell and Professor Richard Ivell and is the latest of three recent studies into this hormone.

Professor Ravinder Anand-Ivell explains: "The holy grail of ageing research is to reduce the fitness gap that appears as people age. Understanding why some people are more likely to develop disabilities and diseases as they age is vital so that interventions can be found to ensure people not only live a long life but also a healthy life as they age. Our hormone discovery is an important step in understanding this and will pave the way for not only helping people individually but also helping to ease the care crisis we face as a society."

The team examined blood samples taken twice, four years apart, from 3,000 men from eight regional centres spread across Europe's north, south, east, and west, including the UK.

The findings demonstrated that, in contrast to testosterone, INSL3 levels in people are constant. The study also revealed that there is an over 10-fold fluctuation in INSL3 blood concentration in the general male population, even when they are young and in reasonably good condition.

Professor Richard Ivell added, "Now we know the important role this hormone plays in predicting disease and how it varies amongst men we are turning our attention to finding out what factors have the most influence on the level of INSL3 in the blood. Preliminary work suggests early life nutrition may play a role, but many other factors such as genetics or exposure to some environmental endocrine disruptors may play a part."