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Concepts & theories

Biological age

DEBiologisches Alter

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Biological age is an estimate of how old a person's body appears to be based on physiological and molecular markers, rather than the calendar. It can be derived from blood biomarkers (e.g. PhenoAge), DNA methylation patterns (epigenetic clocks), grip strength, gait speed or organ-specific proteomic signatures. Although widely used in longevity research, no single biological-age measure is yet endorsed by regulators as a clinical endpoint, and validation varies strongly between methods.

Sources

  1. Horvath S, Raj K. (2018). DNA methylation-based biomarkers and the epigenetic clock theory of ageing. *Nature Reviews Genetics*doi:10.1038/s41576-018-0004-3
  2. Levine ME, Lu AT, Quach A, Chen BH, Assimes TL, Bandinelli S, et al.. (2018). An epigenetic biomarker of aging for lifespan and healthspan. *Aging (Albany NY)*doi:10.18632/aging.101414