Biological age is a measure of how well your body is functioning relative to its chronological age — the number of years you have been alive. While everyone ages chronologically at the same rate, the rate at which the body's cells, tissues, and organ systems age is highly variable and influenced by genetics, lifestyle, environment, and medical history. Biological age captures this variation.
Biological age can be estimated from multiple types of data: blood biomarkers (such as clinical chemistry panels, inflammation markers, metabolic markers), epigenetic clocks (measuring DNA methylation patterns that change predictably with age), and physiological measures (grip strength, walking speed, lung function). A biological age younger than chronological age suggests the body is ageing more slowly than average; an older biological age indicates accelerated ageing and is associated with higher risk of age-related disease and earlier mortality.
FAQs
Can biological age be reversed?
Yes — multiple studies have shown that sustained lifestyle interventions including diet, exercise, and stress reduction can measurably reduce biological age markers, including DNA methylation-based epigenetic clocks. The degree of reversal depends on the intervention intensity and duration, and baseline health status.
How is biological age calculated from blood tests?
Blood-based biological age algorithms analyse patterns across multiple biomarkers — including inflammatory markers, metabolic markers, organ function tests, and haematological parameters — and compare them to reference data from large populations to estimate the biological age that best matches your overall biomarker profile.
How is biological age different from epigenetic age?
Biological age from blood biomarkers uses clinical chemistry data. Epigenetic age (such as DNAm PhenoAge or GrimAge) specifically measures DNA methylation patterns that change in a predictable, age-related way. Epigenetic clocks are generally considered more precise but are more expensive and less widely available.
How often should I test biological age?
Testing every 6–12 months allows meaningful tracking of changes in response to lifestyle interventions. More frequent testing is unlikely to show significant changes, as biological age markers respond slowly to lifestyle changes over months rather than days.
