Biological Age Testing: How and When to Measure Your Health Clock

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• Availability of Biological Age Tests
• How Biological Clocks Work
• When to Start Testing Biological Age
• Recommended Frequency for Testing
• Simple At-Home Aging Markers
• Full Transcript

Availability of Biological Age Tests

Biological age tests are readily available from private companies worldwide. Dr. Andrea Maier, MD, confirms that these tests are a commercial product. Patients can find these services easily online. The tests analyze blood samples and other clinical data. They then provide a report comparing your biological age to your chronological age.

Dr. Andrea Maier, MD, notes this is a rapidly evolving field in medicine. She emphasizes the importance of knowing your baseline biological age. This is crucial before starting any health intervention. The goal is to see your biological age decrease after lifestyle changes.

How Biological Clocks Work

Biological aging clocks are developed from large population studies. Dr. Andrea Maier, MD, explains these clocks measure the function of key organ systems. This includes clinical assessments of the heart, muscles, bones, and brain. The clocks use this data to calculate an overall biological age.

These biomarkers of aging provide a snapshot of your body's functional status. They offer a more accurate picture of health than chronological age alone. During the interview with Dr. Anton Titov, MD, Dr. Maier highlighted their growing integration into clinical care.

When to Start Testing Biological Age

The ideal time to begin biological age testing is between 25 and 30 years old. Dr. Andrea Maier, MD, states that organ function starts to deteriorate from this age. Establishing a baseline in early adulthood is critical for long-term health tracking.

This proactive approach allows for early detection of accelerated aging. It empowers individuals to make informed lifestyle choices. Dr. Maier's recommendation provides a clear starting point for preventive health measures.

Recommended Frequency for Testing

Dr. Andrea Maier, MD, suggests a biological age checkup every five years from a public health perspective. This frequency balances the need for monitoring with affordability for society. It is not necessary to perform comprehensive blood tests annually if health is stable.

However, Dr. Maier acknowledges that interested individuals may choose to test more frequently. The interview with Dr. Anton Titov, MD, explored this balance between personal interest and public health recommendations. The five-year interval is a practical guideline for most people.

Simple At-Home Aging Markers

You can track important aging markers at home without frequent blood tests. Dr. Andrea Maier, MD, recommends simple measurements like weight and height. Tracking these every three months can reveal important health trajectories.

Weight gain is a significant marker associated with a higher biological age. It often reflects lifestyle changes that impact longevity. This easy monitoring provides valuable data on your aging rate between formal tests. Dr. Andrea Maier, MD, emphasizes the power of these basic, consistent observations for health management.

Full Transcript

Dr. Anton Titov, MD: Are there particular tests that are available in laboratory practice around the world? Is it something for somebody who might be interested to find out what the biological age of that person is? Are there any markers that they can easily or relatively easily obtain in the laboratory?

Dr. Andrea Maier, MD: Absolutely. We already have different clocks. Clocks were developed out of big data sets of individuals in studies. So we have clinical clocks where we can measure the function of the heart, of the muscle, of the bones, of the brain. Clinical clocks are already available.

We would draw blood, for example. There are already companies available that let you utilize these tests and then give you back, as a product, your biological age. So it's very easy to find them on the web. I do not want to draw your attention to a particular one because it's an evolving field.

But it brings to the table that there's a huge market already, because individuals would like to know their biological age compared to their chronological age. After all, this is very important. Before starting an intervention, you would like to know your biological age and see if your biological age is lower than your chronological age after the intervention.

So we already can utilize these aging tests from the private companies. Everybody who wants to pay for it can already apply them at the moment. There are lots of aging markers out there and aging clocks.

Also, if you're at the GP or you see the specialist, just ask them if they already apply markers of aging. Some physicians already integrate markers of aging in clinical care.

Dr. Anton Titov, MD: Should a biological age test be done once, and then maybe in several years? Or does it make sense to do biological aging tests on a regular basis? If so, how often would one measure the markers of aging?

Dr. Andrea Maier, MD: That's a very good question. I think if you ask ten different longevity medicine physicians who are experts in the longevity field, you will have ten different answers.

My personal opinion is that from the age of 25 to 30, the function of the organ system is deteriorating. We should track our function of the body. There are ways how we should measure the biological age. I don't say that we have to do it annually.

If it's going well and you do not deteriorate in your function, in your cardiovascular systems, you might be on track. But I think certain aging rate checkups every five years, from a public health perspective, would be the thing we should introduce in clinical care.

How often? I think we have to show because medicine needs to be affordable, of course, for society. We don't want to introduce tests which might not be necessary on a public health level.

That doesn't mean that individuals who are interested in their biological age cannot do it more frequently. I have. But we already have so many aging rate parameters that can be easily tracked, for example, measuring your weight and height and doing that at least every three months.

Just note that down on a page and see what your trajectory is. That's already very important because weight gain is associated with higher biological age. After all, it's associated with lifestyle changes.

So already there are simple things we could do to track the biological age without taking blood samples every three months.