We measure the passage of time in years, but aging does not always progress at the same pace. Scientists can now determine with increasing accuracy the true condition of the body. At the center of modern aging research is not the question “How old are you?” but rather “What is your biological condition?”
Everyone carries two timelines. What is biological age?
Biological age is an attempt to answer the question of how quickly the body is truly aging. It does not refer to the number of years lived, but to the changes taking place in the body, the ones that gradually affect health and physical ability. This is why people of the same age can have different levels of energy, fitness, or resilience. The concept of biological age allows us to measure these differences and better understand their significance.
The pace of aging is influenced by factors including lifestyle, diet, physical activity, sleep, chronic stress, the environment, and genetic predispositions. As Dr. Dorota Komar, a biologist and speaker at the Elevate Health & Longevity Summit, emphasizes, although not all developmental processes can be reversed, intentional lifestyle changes are fundamentally important:
“Research suggests that aging does not occur linearly. There are periods when it clearly accelerates. The first major ‘wave of aging’ appears around age 45, much earlier than is commonly assumed. Changes that occur during the early stages of development are more lasting than those that appear later. The sooner we begin taking care of our health, the better, because not every process is reversible. The best time to start caring for your health was yesterday. The second best time is now.”
The scientist also points out that the hand of the biological clock does not move with the passing of seconds, but in accordance with molecular changes within the cell.
“Time at the cellular level passes very differently from time at the level of the whole body, as we experience it,” adds Dr. Komar. This means that biological age may provide more complete information about health than chronological age alone.
Tests and methods for determining biological age
If you are wondering which biological age test to take, it is worth knowing that biological age can be assessed in different ways. This is why scientists tend to speak about its dimensions rather than one single measure. Some methods are based on physiological parameters, while others examine processes occurring at the genetic level. Each offers a different perspective on aging.
Epigenetic tests examine changes in DNA methylation and make it possible to estimate the pace of aging at the cellular level. Commercially available options include tests based on epigenetic clocks, such as TruAge, which analyze a blood or saliva sample.
Glycan tests, such as GlycanAge, focus on molecules associated with immune system function and inflammation.
Blood biomarkers, including glucose levels, lipids, inflammatory markers, and suPAR, help assess the metabolic dimension of aging. These markers are used to estimate what is known as metabolic age, which focuses on metabolic parameters and represents one dimension of biological age.
Telomere analysis measures the length of the end sections of chromosomes, which shorten as cells divide. These tests are also commercially available, although they are generally treated as a supplementary method.
Functional tests, including assessments of physical fitness and VO₂ max, such as those available in sports watches, describe the body’s performance and endurance.
Cognitive tests assess cognitive functions, including memory, attention, and information processing speed. They are used primarily in the prevention and early detection of cognitive decline.
Biological and metabolic age calculators are also available online, but they are usually based on simplified models and do not replace laboratory testing.
“All tools used to monitor biological age are based on biomarkers that change as the years pass. Many things change in the body over time, from metabolites and skin elasticity to muscle strength. This allows us to use a wide range of information to estimate biological age with a fairly high degree of precision.”
Epigenetic clocks, the most accurate measure of biological age
According to an Elevate Speaker
What is epigenetic age?
“The environment affects our cells and changes epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation. Changes in methylation disrupt gene function and, as a result, interfere with the normal functioning of cells. In simplified terms, changes in DNA methylation accumulate over time, and today we have technology that allows us to measure them.rnrnIf the number and nature of these changes correspond to what we observe across a population of people living under similar conditions and at a particular age, the resulting level of DNA methylation changes can be described as epigenetic age. It may correspond to chronological age, but it does not have to. The history of epigenetic clocks began with this observation.rnrnAs increasingly advanced measurement methods were developed, it became clear that at the population level, epigenetic age can be a more precise measure of how the environment affects the body and how aging progresses under specific environmental conditions than chronological age alone.rn rnChronological age is always the same regardless of the environment. Epigenetic age, however, can differ significantly depending on lifestyle and the conditions in which we live.rnrnThis is confirmed by studies of identical twins who, despite having identical genetic material, may develop different epigenetic ages and different diseases when living in different environments. This measurable effect of the environment on the body’s biology is what we refer to as the epigenetic clock, or epigenetic age.”rn
Existing epigenetic clock models can be divided into three generations:
- First generation (Hannum, Horvath) was based exclusively on DNA methylation patterns.
- Second generation (PhenoAge, GrimAge) incorporated clinical data and metabolic biomarkers into the models, increasing their predictive value.
- Third generation (DunedinPoAm, DunedinPACE) measures not only static age, but also the pace of aging.
Health at your fingertips, biological age in sports watches
What about the data that more and more people carry on their wrists? When it comes to estimating biological age, popular smartwatches obviously cannot compete with laboratory tests, but they do provide fitness indicators that give users valuable information about how efficiently their bodies are functioning.
Garmin watches offer the most advanced version of this feature. Based on VO₂ max, resting heart rate, activity level, and body composition data, when the user has a compatible scale, they calculate what is known as “Fitness Age.” The result is presented as a number of years and may change as fitness improves. The latest watches from the Finnish brand Suunto also include a simple age conversion feature. Users can view their fitness age and a fitness rating on an eight point scale.
Other popular watches, including Apple Watch and Fitbit, also estimate cardio fitness levels, although they do not present the result directly as a fitness age. Growing interest in biological age suggests that this feature, currently available in only a limited number of models, may eventually become standard in this type of device.
What does the future hold? New and experimental approaches
Research on biological age increasingly uses artificial intelligence and the analysis of large datasets. In addition to conventional epigenetic clocks, scientists are developing models based on the microbiome and organ imaging, which make it possible to assess the aging of individual systems. Blood protein profiling is also becoming increasingly important because it can be used to estimate the biological age of specific organs. Researchers are also working on algorithms designed to predict how health interventions may influence changes in biological age over time.
You can read more about new technologies in medicine in our article Future Technologies in the Service of Longevity.
Conclusions
Biological age is not merely a curiosity for biohackers. It is a concept that is changing the way we think about aging. Instead of focusing exclusively on the number of years lived, it allows us to measure processes taking place within the body and assess its condition more accurately than a date of birth alone.
The practical dimension of biological age will be explored further at the Elevate Summit, where experts and practitioners will share knowledge about measurement methods and the real experiences of people working to improve their biological parameters. During the event, you will have the opportunity to undergo a measurement and learn how to improve the result.
