Background: Conventional metrics for assessing biological aging, like allostatic load or telomere length, have limitations in providing a comprehensive picture, especially across diverse populations exposed to chronic stressors like sulfur mustard.
Materials and Methods: This study proposes a novel composite index the Biological Health Score (BHS)-to-telomere length ratio. It integrates a multisystem BHS (from non-invasive biomarkers) with leukocyte telomere length, applicable to various epidemiological studies.
Results: The composite ratio demonstrated greater explanatory power than its individual components. It more successfully predicted injury severity in sulfur mustard-exposed veterans and showed a stronger association with biological aging markers.
Conclusion: This feasible, integrative index is a promising tool for epidemiological and clinical research to identify individuals at risk of accelerated aging and health disorders resulting from chronic stress exposure.