If you want to predict how many birthday candles you’ll be blowing out, consult the body’s crystal ball: the thymus.
This long-overlooked part of the immune system was thought to be less important after childhood. Now, a study from Mass General Brigham suggests it might be more important than we think.
The thymus is a small gland in your lymphatic system, located in your chest and behind your sternum. It spends its time making T cells, a kind of white blood cell that assists your immune system with fighting off bad guys like the common cold.
Using AI, researchers analyzed the CT scans of tens of thousands of adults. Good thymus health — which researchers defined in parameters of organ size, structure and composition — was associated with a lower rate of mortality from any cause. People with healthy thymuses also had a 63% lower risk of death from heart disease, and a 36% lower risk of developing lung cancer.
Scientists think thymuses in poorer shape might be associated with less T cell diversity and a weaker immune system that struggles to quickly identify threats like cancer. In a related study, people with a healthier thymus undergoing treatment for cancer responded better than those whose gland was in worse shape. They were less likely to see their cancer progress and even had a lower risk of death.
Certain lifestyle factors, like higher weight, chronic inflammation and smoking, were linked to a less healthy thymus. However, researchers caution that more research is needed before we understand if, or how, we can improve the organ’s health. Until then, maybe we’ll start paying better attention to other unsung heroes of the body.