Is patients’ health really written on their faces?

A doctor’s ability to judge a patient’s true age just from looking at his or her appearance could provide real clues to overall wellness.

That’s the takeaway from a recent study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Researchers found that 99% of patients judged — based solely on physical appearance — to be at least 10 years older than their true age, had serious medical problems. A particularly youthful appearance however, wasn’t necessarily associated with good health.

Of course, this technique isn’t foolproof — the researchers noted that doctors’ ability to gauge age varied considerably, with more experienced doctors doing a better job overall.