Question 44 of 433
What is an epigenetic clock?
The short answer
A test that reads chemical tags on your DNA and uses them to estimate your biological age or your speed of aging.
Your DNA is the same in every cell, but small chemical tags called methyl groups act as dimmer switches on your genes. These tags shift in predictable ways as we age. In 2013, scientists learned to read them like tree rings.
The first clocks (called Horvath and Hannum) predicted calendar age. The second generation (PhenoAge and GrimAge) were trained to predict disease and death, which is more useful. A third type, DunedinPACE, works like a speedometer: a score of 1.0 means you are aging one year per year, 0.9 means slower, 1.1 means faster. Dr. Morgan Levine’s book True Age explains the science well.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
VALIDATED ASSOCIATIONS — Research cohorts: methylation clocks predict age or risk; changing a clock need not change health.Evidence grade (draft mapping)CObservationalPart 4, Q44 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.