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Health

How to tell if your immune system is weak or strong

New blood tests can reveal whether your immune system is fighting fit by looking at the balance of different immune cells, but there may be a simpler way of gauging your immune health

By David Robson

31 January 2023

91av. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Keep track of how many illnesses you have each year to get to grips with your immune health

Vicki Turner

WHEN you are under the covers, sniffling from your third cold of the year, you might wonder whether your immune system is pulling its weight. It is a question we would all love to answer: is our immune system healthy or not? Now, a burgeoning field of immunology is attempting to do just that with tests that “grade” your immune system, the idea being that it could help people preempt problems and motivate them to make lifestyle changes to avoid…

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