Latest news with #biologicalage
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Your organs have their own age – and it may predict health risks better than your birthday
If you've always thought your birthday was the best way to define how old you are, think again. Your organs, it turns out, are aging on their own schedules. A growing body of scientific research is shifting focus from chronological age to biological age, where your body's roughly 30 trillion cells, tissues and organs each have their own 'clocks' that can tick at different speeds. According to a groundbreaking peer-reviewed study published last week in Nature Medicine, Stanford University researchers found that an organ that is substantially 'older' than a person's actual age is at greater risk of disease. Researchers tracked this hidden timeline by analyzing thousands of proteins flowing through our blood. The body's cells, tissues and organs all have different 'clocks' ticking at different speeds (Getty Images) 'With this indicator, we can assess the age of an organ today and predict the odds of your getting a disease associated with that organ 10 years late,' Tony Wyss-Coray, a professor of neurology and neurological sciences at the university's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, said in a statement. Take the brain, for example: an older one increases your risk of death by about 182 percent within the next 15 years, compared with people whose brains are aging normally, researchers found. On the flip side, those with brains biologically younger than their chronological age are believed to live longer. The study's authors concluded that having an older brain increased the risk of dementia threefold, while those with youthful brains have just a quarter of the usual risk. 'The brain is the gatekeeper of longevity,' Wyss-Coray said. 'If you've got an old brain, you have an increased likelihood of mortality.' An older biological heart age was linked to a higher risk of atrial fibrillation and heart failure, while aging lungs signaled an increased likelihood of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While your chronological age only goes up, the good news is that biological age can be slowed, paused or even reversed. Forty-year-old soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has an estimated biological age of just under 29, according to data from the health tech brand Whoop. Bryan Johnson has documented his journey to reverse his biological age to that of a teenager (Dustin Giallanza) Kim Kardashian may be blowing out 44 candles on her next birthday but her biological age came in nearly a decade younger, according to results from an epigenetic clock test taken on The Kardashians last year. Meanwhile, Bryan Johnson, 47, the anti-aging tech guru and 'biohacker,' has documented his bizarre journey in an attempt to reverse his biological age to that of a teenager. You don't need to be into biohacking to change your organ's age — they can shift depending on a variety of factors, including your genes, how much you move, what you eat, your sleep habits and how you manage stress. Regular exercise, good nutrition and avoiding harmful habits like smoking all contribute to younger organ age and better health outcomes, according to Stanford University's research.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Cat Deeley gasps ‘I might actually cry' as she learns her ‘biological age' live on This Morning - revealing VERY unhealthy habit after ‘nightmare' string of tests
Cat Deeley gasped when she learned her 'biological age' live on This Morning and revealed a particularly unhealthy habit. Presenter duo Ben Shephard and Cat hosted Thursday's instalment of the ITV show and sat down with Dr Alka Patel. The pair had undergone a series of tests to determine their 'biological age', which refers to the physiological state of someone's body. Cat, whose chronological age is 48, revealed it had been a 'nightmare' for her and opened up about her habit of not sleeping very well. 'So this was a nightmare for me, Zoe had to attempt it twice, I'm a terrible sleeper, but I'm very healthy, I eat healthy, I drink loads of water I do yoga,' she said. As the numbers ticked down to 33, Cat looked pleasantly surprised and gasped: 'I might cry, I might actually, am I 33?' '15 years younger!' the expert exclaimed. 'Wow, I don't know how I've done it because I certainly don't sleep and that's one of the most import factors isn't it,' Cat gasped. Dr Alka replied: 'Remember everything works together, I call it bio-synchronology, everything works together in time so all the great things that you are doing, the yoga, the stress relief, the breathing, the drinking, all of that is incredible. 'Now you've got to think to yourself, 33, I love that, I've got more years ahead of me, what do I need to do to keep it that way...' Meanwhile Ben, whose chronological age is 50, was not so impressed with his biological result of 46. He exclaimed: '46? is that it? I'm quite surprised by that, I think I look after myself, I get a decent amount of sleep, train really hard, I feel fit and healthier than I've probably ever felt in my life chronologically. 'I'm really fascinated by the idea that it's just four years.' Dr Alka advised the presenter to 'be more Goldilocks' and ensure he does 'not too much, not too little but just the right amount,' explaining he might be 'going too hard'. But ben doubled down: 'For me, the health and wellness is much more important for me mentally rather than how I feel with the physical side of things.' Dr Alka replied: 'Remember everything works together, I call it bio-synchronology, everything works together in time so all the great things that you are doing, the yoga, the stress relief, the breathing, the drinking, all of that is incredible. Elsewhere in the same episode, Cat and Ben interviewed three women who identify as witches. All three post about their magical activities on TikTok and Emma explained: 'I think because the word 'witch' people are scared of it because of the movies, and I think now people are looking at it as a form of wellness and good for their emotions and inner calmness. 'It's really beautiful to see younger generations, especially Holly's age stepping into witchcraft and sharing their magic.' This Morning airs weekdays on ITV1 from 10am and is available to stream on ITVX.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scouted: I Tried the Same Biological Age Test as Kim Kardashian—Here Are My Thoughts
Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. Longevity science is kind of hot right now, and I'm here for it. I recently downloaded the Death Clock app, which takes information about your personal health profile, inputted medical history, and lifestyle and compares it to stats from upwards of 1,200 longevity studies to predict, well… the day you'll die. As a seldom-drinker who walks at least 10,000 steps a day, does Pilates three days a week, nerds out on produce, and wants to be alive to meet my future grandchildren, I was pretty smug when my Death Clock results said I'd live to be 102. (For context, I'm a 36-year-old woman with two children.) So, the types of things in my feed include content by the likes of Bryan Johnson, tech-billionaire-turned-one-man-longevity-experiment (aka Don't Die Guy). Johnson was featured on a recent episode of The Kardashians. Kim Kardashian, who famously said she'd be willing to eat poop if it made her look younger (no shade, just respect), has a strong interest in longevity like Johnson—though the former is vanity-focused and the latter science-driven. On another Kardashians episode, Kim, her sister Khloé Kardashian, and their mother, Kris Jenner, took a biological age test. Kim (chronologically 44) had a biological age of 35, Jenner (now 69) was 62, and Khloé (40) had a biological age of 28. This piqued my interest. Biological age tells you how 'old' you are according to the current condition of biomarkers—think organs, cells, tissues, cholesterol, and proteins in the blood, to name just a few. On the other hand, chronological age is your actual age, counted from your date of birth. At-home biological age tests aren't to be taken too seriously and definitely shouldn't replace monitoring or medical advice from a healthcare provider, but they can give you a rough snapshot of where you stand. The idea is based on epigenetics, which studies how your environment and habits—including what you eat, how much you sleep, or how stressed you are—can affect how your genes behave, without changing your DNA. The test they took on the show was TruAge from TruDiagnostic, which tells you your biological age, rate of aging, and risk of mortality and major diseases. I got my hands on a kit of my own, eager to send in my blood sample and hopeful my results would tell me I'm 'in my 20s' like Khloé. The TruAge Test calls for a self-administered blood sample. Before getting started, you create an account and register your kit. It comes with two lancets for pricking your finger and a paper sample collection card. TruDiagnostic recommends taking your blood sample after at least 12 hours of fasting—ideally, first thing in the morning before food or coffee. It was harder and more time-consuming than expected to get enough blood out of my finger. You have to fill a quarter-sized circle with blood from edge to edge and get enough that it soaks through and appears red on the other side of the collection card. For me, this was at least 30 drops of blood. I ended up pricking a second finger when the first one stopped producing blood drops. (Kim probably had people to help her with this step.) The kit comes with a prepaid envelope to mail back the collection card. It says that once the lab receives your sample, your results will be available in two to three weeks. It was more like a month for mine—no biggie. My first thought upon getting my results was, Woah! That's a lot of information! OMICm Age: Scrolling down from the top of the comprehensive report, the first number is the OMICm Age, a biological age assessment developed with Harvard. It clocked me at 36.3. This is considered 'normal' and roughly my chronological age, albeit a smidge higher—at the time of this writing, I'm 36.06 years old. I was hoping I'd be 'younger,' but I suppose normal is acceptable. Most of my health data from this assessment was positive. My score appears to have been knocked down for low hemoglobin and hematocrit, related to red blood cells and oxygen in the blood. (This didn't come as a shock, as my hemoglobin was low with both of my pregnancies, during which I was advised to take an iron supplement.) TruDiagnostic says OMICm Age is 'the most accurate biological age clock.' Each blood sample is compared to that of Harvard research participants and other people who mail in the at-home test to 'emulate a population of average health.' It's hard not to assume that competitively healthy folks like myself are more inclined to do a bio-age test than the general population—and the website says nothing about being graded on a curve—so I took this number with a grain of salt and kept scrolling down. SYMPHONYAge: The next one offered better news, clocking me at 34.6. Developed by Yale, SYMPHONYAge analyzes 11 organs and bodily systems. Its algorithm takes data from around 8,000 participants and looks at over 130 biomarkers analyzed in your blood sample. DunedinPACE of Aging: More good news! Based on numerous blood cell counts that affect immunity and inflammation, I'm aging at a rate of 0.8, meaning for every birthday, my body is just eight-tenths of a year (9.6 months) 'older.' A pace of aging higher than 1.0 is associated with a 56 percent higher risk of death and a 54 percent greater chance of chronic disease in the next seven years. Whew! OMICm Fit Age: This test put me at 33.9. It tells you your biological age 'according to your physical fitness and functionality.' While this sort of assessment is usually done by measuring oxygen and taking a blood sample during or after exercise, the data here seems to be analyzed by several proteins and enzymes, along with other biomarkers detected in blood, like creatinine (a byproduct of creatine) and glucose. All in all, it looks like I'm in good shape. My report says all my organs are running smoothly. The only organ aging faster than my chronological age is my brain (37.1). Does this mean I'm smart or senile? (Don't answer that.) Other than that, my immunity and hormones could improve slightly. Based on my TruDiagnostic report and already healthier-than-average lifestyle, I chalk these up to low hemoglobin, mid-quality sleep, and what I believe are normal stress levels for a full-time working parent. Beyond adding an iron supplement to my routine, I'll work on getting better shut-eye and maybe finding a little more time to chill (easier said than done). TruDiagnostic provides general suggestions for improving one's biological age, including what types of food to eat, supplements to take, and lifestyle interventions. A majority of the pointers are accessible to most people and not exactly breaking news (things like eating lots of vegetables, prioritizing protein, getting enough sleep, and strength training). But one recommendation is to spend some time in a hyperbaric chamber. Thanks for the helpful rec, but I don't have the resources of Kim Kardashian or Bryan Johnson. My plan? Keep doing what I'm doing (regular movement, healthy eating, minimal sugar, daily vitamins, etc.). Although my results were mostly good, I'm feeling competitive with myself and want to take the test again in a year to see if I've improved. The TruAge Test is expensive—$500 for one kit. A pack of four is $998, which you could split with a partner or use over the course of a couple of years and save 50 percent per kit. The report is really robust. It's gleaned from substantial data, and each assessment is developed by researchers at Harvard, Duke, or Yale. TruDiagnostic seems pretty legit, and the experience was fascinating from a health and science perspective—if you're into that type of thing. I think I'd probably cough up $499 annually to stay motivated and keep tabs on my biomarkers. But the price is undoubtedly steep, so I'll keep my eyes peeled for sales. Pros: Estimates biological age and rate of aging. Comprehensive report based on 130+ biomarkers. Simple recommendations for improving various biomarkers. Developed by researchers at Harvard, Duke, and Yale. Biological age algorithms trained on large sample sizes (5,000 to 8,000 participants). Cons: Expensive. At-home blood sample collection was trickier than anticipated. May take longer than expected to get results.
ABC News
27-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Can 'biological clock' tests tell you anything worthwhile?
We all like to imagine we're ageing well. Now a simple blood or saliva test promises to tell us by measuring our "biological age". And then, as many have done, we can share how "young" we really are on social media, along with our secrets to success. While chronological age is how long you have been alive, measures of biological age aim to indicate how old your body actually is, purporting to measure "wear and tear" at a molecular level. The appeal of these tests is undeniable. Health-conscious consumers may see their results as reinforcing their anti-ageing efforts, or a way to show their journey to better health is paying off. But how good are these tests? Do they actually offer useful insights? Or are they just clever marketing dressed up to look like science? Over time, the chemical processes that allow our body to function, known as our "metabolic activity", lead to damage and a decline in the activity of our cells, tissues and organs. Biological age tests aim to capture some of these changes, offering a snapshot of how well, or how poorly, we are ageing on a cellular level. Our DNA is also affected by the ageing process. In particular, chemical tags (methyl groups) attach to our DNA and affect gene expression. These changes occur in predictable ways with age and environmental exposures, in a process called methylation. Research studies have used "epigenetic clocks", which measure the methylation of our genes, to estimate biological age. By analysing methylation levels at specific sites in the genome from participant samples, researchers apply predictive models to estimate the cumulative wear and tear on the body. Although the science is rapidly evolving, the evidence underpinning the use of epigenetic clocks to measure biological ageing in research studies is strong. Studies have shown epigenetic biological age estimation is a better predictor of the risk of death and ageing-related diseases than chronological age. Epigenetic clocks also have been found to correlate strongly with lifestyle and environmental exposures, such as smoking status and diet quality. In addition, they have been found to be able to predict the risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Taken together, a growing body of research indicates that at a population level, epigenetic clocks are robust measures of biological ageing and are strongly linked to the risk of disease and death. While these tests are valuable when studying populations in research settings, using epigenetic clocks to measure the biological age of individuals is a different matter and requires scrutiny. For testing at an individual level, perhaps the most important consideration is the "signal to noise ratio" (or precision) of these tests. This is the question of whether a single sample from an individual may yield widely differing results. A study from 2022 found samples deviated by up to nine years. So an identical sample from a 40-year-old may indicate a biological age of as low as 35 years (a cause for celebration) or as high as 44 years (a cause of anxiety). While there have been significant improvements in these tests over the years, there is considerable variability in the precision of these tests between commercial providers. So depending on who you send your sample to, your estimated biological age may vary considerably. Another limitation is there is currently no standardisation of methods for this testing. Commercial providers perform these tests in different ways and have different algorithms for estimating biological age from the data. As you would expect for commercial operators, providers don't disclose their methods. So it's difficult to compare companies and determine who provides the most accurate results — and what you're getting for your money. A third limitation is that while epigenetic clocks correlate well with ageing, they are simply a "proxy" and are not a diagnostic tool. In other words, they may provide a general indication of ageing at a cellular level. But they don't offer any specific insights about what the issue may be if someone is found to be "ageing faster" than they would like, or what they're doing right if they are "ageing well". So regardless of the result of your test, all you're likely to get from the commercial provider of an epigenetic test is generic advice about what the science says is healthy behaviour. While companies offering these tests may have good intentions, remember their ultimate goal is to sell you these tests and make a profit. And at a cost of around $500, they're not cheap. While the idea of using these tests as a personalised health tool has potential, it is clear that we are not there yet. For this to become a reality, tests will need to become more reproducible, standardised across providers, and validated through long-term studies that link changes in biological age to specific behaviours. So while one-off tests of biological age make for impressive social media posts, for most people they represent a significant cost and offer limited real value. The good news is we already know what we need to do to increase our chances of living longer and healthier lives. These include: We don't need to know our biological age in order to implement changes in our lives right now to improve our health. Hassan Vally is an associate professor of epidemiology at Deakin University. This piece first appeared on The Conversation.
BreakingNews.ie
22-06-2025
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
What's your ‘biological age'? And here's how to lower it…
It's no secret that wellness fads come as quickly as they go. From the low-fat diets of the Noughties to the UPF-free food of today – society loves indulging in the newest health hack. The newest wellness trend to step onto the scene is 'biohacking'. You may have heard of it via Bryan Johnson's infamous anti-ageing quest, or simply by the numerous podcasts that now discuss cell health and biological age. Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bryan Johnson (@bryanjohnson_) But what really is biohacking? How do you find out your biological age? And does it really determine how long you'll live for? Doctors specialising in stem cell and longevity research explain what biological age really means, how to lower it and why it's fast becoming the ultimate wellness metric in modern medicine. What is biological age? Biological age – a measurement of how well your body is functioning based on factors like lifestyle, stress and cellular health – is different to chronological age, as it isn't fixed, and (perhaps thankfully) you can reverse it. According to longevity experts, biological age provides a more accurate picture of health span than the candles on our birthday cake. And increasingly, it's being treated as something we can influence. Advertisement Chief executive of Cellcolabs, Dr Mattias Bernow, who provided the stem cells for biohacker Bryan Johnson, explains that this measurement is, 'a marker of how old your body seems based on your health, lifestyle and cellular function.' In other words, you might be 50 on paper, but living like someone 35 – or 65. 'Two people who are both 40 years old chronologically might have very different biological ages depending on how they live, their stress levels, their metabolic health and more,' says GP and founder of London's longevity clinic, HUM2N, Dr Mohammed Enayat. What accelerates biological ageing? The good news is that many of the biggest culprits behind accelerated ageing are changeable. Both Enayat and Bernow point to chronic stress, poor sleep, lack of exercise, ultra-processed foods and environmental toxins as major accelerants. Parenting itself doesn't inherently age the body, but, as Enayat points out, the chronic sleep deprivation and stress associated with caregiving certainly can. Advertisement Lack of sleep caused by parenting can increase your biological age Inflammation is another central player. 'These factors contribute to increasing low-grade inflammation,' Bernow explains, 'which plays a key role in age-related decline and the development of chronic disease.' But this process, he says, is not set in stone. 'While we can't control everything, small, consistent changes to reduce these stressors can make a meaningful difference in how we age.' Which lifestyle changes have the biggest scientific backing when it comes to reversing it? When it comes to slowing the clock, it turns out the best advice isn't ground-breaking – it's just often overlooked. Quality sleep, regular movement, a balanced whole-food diet, meaningful relationships and avoiding harmful substances all rank highly on the evidence-based list. Advertisement Enayat also points to practices like caloric moderation, intermittent fasting and resistance training for their 'strong results in slowing biological ageing at a cellular level.' However, these diets impact each sex differently, with intermittent fasting in particular causing more stress on women's bodies while being effective for men, meaning they will affect biological age differently. How big a part do genetics play? Though it's tempting to think of ageing as a genetic lottery, our DNA doesn't write the full script. 'Genes load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger,' Enayat says, noting that genetics may only account for 20 to 30 per cent of ageing outcomes. Bernow says that emerging research suggests as much as 80 per cent of ageing is governed by one's environment and behaviour. Advertisement Do supplements actually make a difference? Supplements claim everything from healthier skin to better energy to thicker hair – but it's fair to be sceptical of whether they really make a difference, or if it's all marketing. However, there are some supplements that have been proven to be helpful if taken correctly and absorbed properly. 'Protein is essential for preserving muscle mass,' says Enayat, while collagen 'may help with skin and joint health,' though its systemic anti-ageing benefits are modest. Some supplements can make a difference if taken and absorbed correctly Fish oil, magnesium, creatine and polyphenols all show promise too, but Enayat is keen to emphasise that supplement should support – not replace – healthy habits. Bernow cautions that while some supplements, like vitamin D, are well-supported (especially in sun-deprived regions), many products on the market are poorly regulated. 'Supplements are not a substitute for healthy habits,' he says, 'but in some cases, they can play a supportive role if used thoughtfully.' How to find out your biological age and what healthy habits the experts incorporate If this has sparked a curiosity to find out your own biological age, figuring it out requires a blood test. 'The most validated tests look at DNA methylation patterns,' says Enayat, and suggests well-known tests like the Horvath Clock, GlycanAge and TruAge. Bernow says that Bryan Johnson uses the DunedinPACE test, which claims to show he's ageing at just 0.66 years per year (66% of his chronological age). As for how these experts practise what they preach – they say it's all about balance and consistency. Moderate, low impact exercise can actually lower biological age Enayat's daily habits include either walking, strength training or stretching, prioritising plants and healthy fats, regular fasting, cold exposure and supplementing with omega-3, vitamin D, magnesium and creatine. 'The goal is consistency, not perfection,' he says. Lifestyle Paul Hollywood's sausage plait recipe Read More Bernow takes a similar approach, but with less exercise and more socialising, explaining he takes a short morning workout, has plenty of family time, eats balanced meals and drinks minimal alcohol. 'More than anything, I believe in consistency,' he says. 'Longevity isn't about extremes but about the things you do every day, for years.' So, while biohacking might conjure visions of futuristic and expensive tech, the real secret to ageing well is actually much simpler – by prioritising balance and relaxation – not difficult at all in today's world!
