Scientists Decode What Biological Ageing Tests Reveal

Researchers in the United States have gained new insights into biological ageing, analyzing blood samples from 3,227 individuals. This investigation aimed to understand the bodily processes associated with faster ageing as indicated by five widely used epigenetic clock methods. These clocks utilize DNA methylation to estimate biological age, correlating with health and mortality risks.

The study revealed that the analyzed epigenetic clocks are linked to distinct signs of ageing within the body. While some clocks reflect energy use and cell growth, others are more associated with immune responses and inflammation. Common molecular changes across these clocks involve the immune system, metabolism, and intercellular communication.

These findings may assist scientists in selecting the most appropriate ageing clock for specific research areas, such as immunity or metabolism. The team also introduced transcriptomic ageing gene scores (TAGS), which in several instances surpassed the predictive power of the clocks for frailty, walking speed, heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, and mortality.

This work is significant as it demystifies biological ageing clocks by identifying their associated molecular processes. This enhanced interpretability is expected to guide the application of these biomarkers in geroscience, epidemiology, and future clinical settings.