AI study links a forgotten chest organ, the thymus, to how long you live
Researchers at Mass General Brigham used AI to measure the thymus on routine CT scans in more than 25,000 adults. People with healthier thymuses had about a 50% lower risk of death, a 63% lower risk of cardiovascular death, and a 36% lower risk of lung cancer. A separate study ti
A small immune organ in the chest, long thought to stop mattering after childhood, may be one of the strongest hidden predictors of longevity. Using AI to score thymus health on routine CT scans of 25,000+ adults, Mass General Brigham researchers found healthier thymuses linked to roughly 50% lower all-cause death risk, 63% lower cardiovascular death risk, and 36% lower lung cancer risk. A separate study of cancer patients found healthier thymuses meant stronger immunotherapy responses. The imaging method is not yet ready for routine clinical use. Published in two papers in Nature.