How do biological age tests work? And are they accurate or useful? : Shots

These days, you can order a test to find out your biological age. This is an estimate of how quickly or slowly you are aging compared to other people. This is based on the analysis of DNA modifications.

I took one of these biological age tests myself at the Longevity Institute last fall.The one I took is called grim age And many longevity researchers use it to study aging.

after listening My story before taking the exam, listeners and readers wrote to ask how these tests work, how accurate they are, and whether they should take them. That's a good question!

We asked various experts. Luigi Ferruccia geriatrician who is also the scientific director of the National Institute on Aging, studies epigenetic clocks, which is another term for these tests.

“Right now, if you want to do it, it has to be based on curiosity,” he says. And he warns that you should be open to the idea that you might not get the results you want.

After sending the sample, I felt a wave of anticipatory anxiety. I even had a dream that my biological age was 90 years old.

How biological age testing works

GrimAge and other epigenetic clock tests are based on a process called DNA methylation. As we grow older, chemical tags called methyl group It's firmly ingrained in our DNA. The pattern of these tags gives researchers an indication of biological age.

“Methylation allows us to measure time in all cells, including DNA,” he explains. steve horvatha pioneer in aging clocks and the scientist who developed the GrimAge test (named after the Grim Reaper!).

As a professor at UCLA, Horvath spent years studying how this molecular biomarker of aging works. He explains that methylation changes one of his four letters in his DNA: C, which stands for cytosine.

“Some of these changes will protect us, but others will have negative effects,” he says. He and his collaborators have identified locations in DNA where patterns of chemical modifications are most highly correlated with changes in aging. They found that the higher the proportion of DNA that was methylated at a particular location, the faster a person's biological age.

“We spent more than a decade trying to understand what factors accelerate the epigenetic clock,” Horvath says. Researchers found that smoking, unhealthy eating, a sedentary lifestyle, and “almost every unhealthy lifestyle factor” speeds up the clock.

Conversely, we found that a diet rich in micronutrients from fruits and vegetables, a healthy weight, and regular exercise can help slow methylation.

Is the test accurate? How do I judge the results?

Horvath says he developed the watch as a way for scientists to study aging, not necessarily for consumers to worry about their DNA age.

But online testing companies had other ideas. There are now several brands of biological age tests that mail samples and send results directly to consumers.

When you take one of these tests, you receive a number that is an estimate of your biological age. You probably shouldn't put in too much stock, researchers say. Of course, tests cannot accurately determine how much life you have left. What this test can do is estimate how quickly or slowly you are aging compared to other people.

Let's say you're 50 years old and your age reverts to 45. This means you age more slowly than the average 50-year-old. Your aging rate is close to his 45 year old rate.

They say this score can be useful when combined with other measurements. Dr. Doug VaughnDirector of. Human Longevity Laboratory at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“I think knowing that will give you some information about your overall health and give you some idea of ​​what to look forward to in the next few years,” Vaughn says.

Studies have shown that patterns of DNA methylation are flexible and related to diet, exercise, and other lifestyle habits, so “we think it could potentially slow the pace of aging,” Vaughn said. he says. This is the research goal of Vaughan et al.

However, Vaughan points out that DNA age testing is only one measure of biological age and overall health. His lab uses a variety of tests, including AI-generated cardiovascular health and retinal health calculations, to perform more integrated assessments. When you combine these measures, a more comprehensive picture of your health and potential longevity emerges.

And Horvath said she worries people will misinterpret the results if they just look at the test in isolation.

“If you really want to accurately estimate lifespan, you should include clinical variables such as blood pressure, glucose metabolism, and lipid levels,” he says.

Please proceed with caution

Please note a few things before submitting your sample for results.

For one thing, matt kebalineFounding director of the Institute for Healthy Aging and Longevity at the University of Washington, it's hard to know whether all biological aging tests give the same results because not all biological aging tests have been evaluated by independent experts. says it is difficult.

Ultimately, he says, these tests may yield specific results that can help people. But for now, it's unclear what exactly people can do with that information, he said. “I don't think we can take action right now,” he says.

Currently, doctors cannot base their prescriptions on individual patient outcomes beyond the healthy lifestyle recommendations already recommended. At this time, there are no drugs approved for anti-aging.

Some longevity researchers say people should be wary of ordering such tests from companies that sell their own anti-aging drugs.

“If you get tested and then you're told to buy supplements, that seems very problematic to me,” Kaeberlein says. There are many supplements that may not be as effective as expected.

For now, the test is most useful to scientists studying aging, Horvath said. Horvath's nonprofit goals basics of watches The goal is to make the GrimAge test accessible to the research community, but it can also be made accessible to consumers. order a testhas been verified. published research.

Still, “I'm trying to point out the limitations and how to interpret the results,” Horvath says.

The future of anti-aging treatments

For those who decide to take a DNA age test, researchers say the results may reflect your daily habits.

National Institute on Aging Luigi Ferrucci He took the GrimAge test and said he was satisfied with the estimated biological age. He exercises regularly, eats a Mediterranean-style diet, prioritizes sleep, and maintains healthy social connections. “I'm taking all the precautions I can,” Ferrucci said.

A series of studies shows that there is no single magic bullet for healthy aging, but rather a series of magic bullets. Healthy habits lead to longevity.

But to optimize aging, scientists want to better understand prevention. In the future, researchers will use DNA aging tests as part of clinical trials to show that all anti-aging interventions, from dietary changes to exercise and strength-building procedures, stress reduction, and even medications, can slow aging. You will be able to judge whether or not it is possible.

“That's the hope,” Ferrucci says.

Personally, I had to wait nearly a month for my GrimAge test results. Thankfully, I also received some good news. It turns out that my estimated biological age is younger than my actual age.

But could we age more slowly if we made more lifestyle changes? This year I'm starting a strength training program and focusing on reducing stress, so next year I'll be back in the longevity lab and giving it another try. I would like to test it.