Transplanted Hearts May Align Their Biological Age With Recipients, Study Suggests

Transplanted hearts may adjust their biological age to match that of the recipient’s body, according to a study by researchers at Harvard Medical School.

The finding suggests that a donated heart’s biological age may not remain fixed after transplantation. Instead, it could respond to the environment of the body receiving it.

Biological age refers to the condition of cells and tissues, rather than simply the number of years that have passed. It offers a way of considering ageing beyond chronological age alone.

The study points to a possible relationship between the ageing of a transplanted organ and its new host. However, the available summary does not detail how the researchers measured this relationship or how closely the hearts aligned with their recipients.

The finding should not be taken as evidence that transplantation reliably rejuvenates a heart or changes how long it will function. Those conclusions would require further evidence.