Your own genetic material from two cellular locations can be found in your blood, Elizabeth Tracey reports

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You have quite a lot of the genetic material DNA circulating in your bloodstream. Peter Abadir, a geriatrics expert at Johns Hopkins, is looking at DNA from two different sources to provide information on aging.

Abadir: The genomic DNA is a complete set of DNA found in the nucleus of cells, containing all the genetic blueprints that determines individual's traits, inherited traits. So it's composed of chromosomes that carry thousands of genes so this is what explains the traits that the person has. Mitochondrial DNA on the other hand is found in the mitochondria which is the power plant of the cell. This is what produces energy. It's inherited only from the mother.  :31

Two studies by Abadir and colleagues show that both types of circulating DNA can be analyzed and correlated with conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and frailty, as seen in reduced walking speed. He says such an assessment may trigger early interventions to help. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.