Longevity · Measurement
Biological age
Biological age tries to capture how old your body behaves rather than your birth date. What epigenetic clocks measure, what they can't yet do, and what to make of consumer tests.
Written by LON6EVITY Editorial Team · Last updated
What the term means
Biological age is the idea that people of the same chronological age can differ in how far ageing has progressed. Researchers estimate it with 'clocks' built from biological measurements.
Epigenetic clocks
In 2013 Steve Horvath published an epigenetic clock that estimates age from DNA methylation patterns across many tissues. Later work, such as a 2019 twin study in EBioMedicine, examined how genetic and environmental influences on these clocks change in old age.
What it can and cannot tell you
Epigenetic clocks are valuable research tools, but results differ between clocks and laboratories, and there is no agreed clinical use. A biological age number does not tell you what to change. Established measures — blood pressure, lipids, glucose, kidney function, fitness and body composition — remain more actionable.
Factors that can affect the result
- Genetics
- Smoking
- Physical activity
- Body weight
- Sleep
- Chronic disease
Questions people commonly ask
- Are consumer biological age tests accurate?
- They can produce different results for the same person and are not validated to guide medical decisions.
- Can I lower my biological age?
- Claims of reversing biological age come mostly from small studies. Focus on established risk factors.
Related topics
Build your longevity profile
What does this mean for your own health data? Log your results, follow trends over time and bring an organised summary to your next doctor's appointment.
Sources
- DNA methylation age of human tissues and cell types. Horvath S, Genome Biology, 2013.
- Longitudinal changes in the genetic and environmental influences on the epigenetic clocks across old age. Reynolds CA et al., EBioMedicine, 2019.