In light of medical advances such as elucidating the mechanisms of aging, the idea of ​​longevity, or living a long and healthy life, is beginning to attract attention. In this article, we will introduce the history of epigenetic clock testing, which is one of the indicators for longevity.

What is epigenetic clock testing?

 

Epigenetic clock testing is a method for measuring biological age. Even if people have the same chronological age, some people look younger and others look older because of differences in the rate at which aging progresses. The speed at which people age varies greatly from person to person and is not proportional to chronological age.

 

Therefore, biological age is used as an indicator of the progression of aging. It has also been shown that biological age, measured by the epigenetic clock, is related to apparent aging.

 

There are several methods to measure biological age, but epigenetic clock testing is currently considered the most reliable indicator. Epigenetic clock testing has been developed by various researchers until it reached its current form. This time, we will introduce the history of epigenetic clock testing.

 

Epigenetic clock testing is like a weight scale for dieting!

 

It is easy to understand epigenetic clock testing if you think of it as being like a weighing scale for dieting. You can't prove the effectiveness of a diet unless you use a weighing scale to measure your weight before and after the diet.

 

The same can be said about anti-aging care. There are various methods of anti-aging care that are said to be good, such as dietary therapy and supplements, but until now, the only way to prove whether they are truly effective is by whether or not you live longer.

 

Now that we can accurately determine biological age, it is possible not only to understand the progression of aging by comparing differences in chronological age, but also to verify the effectiveness of anti-aging treatments.

 

Anti-aging medicine considers aging to be a disease, and it is possible to take an approach that aims to rejuvenate biological age. By showing that biological age has been rejuvenated from x years to x years, the effectiveness of treatment can be objectively grasped. In this way, the evolution of epigenetic clock testing is significant.

 

History of epigenetic clock testing

 

Representative epigenetic clock tests that have been studied to date include the following:

 

 

We will introduce the characteristics of each.

 

The first epigenetic clock test, the Horvath Clock

 

The first epigenetic clock test appeared on the market in 2013. It was invented by Professor Horvath of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and is commonly known as the "Horvath Clock."

 

The Horvath Clock measures biological age by measuring the methylation of 353 sites in genes, using a machine learning approach to measure methylation patterns that change with age.

 

The second generation is "PhenoAge" and "GrimAge" that combine biomakers

 

The second generation that followed was "PhenoAge" which appeared in 2018 and "GrimAge" which appeared in 2019. This is a test that combines the "Hovers Clock" with biomarkers from other tests.

 

A biomarker is an indicator of biological changes in the body. It is used to indicate the state or changes of a disease, and to predict the effectiveness of treatment. It was developed with the aim of providing more accurate epigenetic clock testing.

 

The third generation was based on a large-scale study called the Dunedin Study.

 

Then in 2020, the third generation epigenetic clock test was developed. It is called the Dunedin Study because it is based on a cohort study conducted in Dunedin, New Zealand.

 

The cohort study, which followed more than 1972 people born in 1,000 for 40 years, longitudinally assessed mental health disorders and comorbidities. It was a fairly large-scale study, with follow-up surveys every two years from 1995 to 2005.

 

"Dunedin PoAm" was developed based on a 12-year follow-up study to measure the rate of change in each biomarker and generate an epigenetic clock. "Dunedin PACE" was developed based on an even longer 20-year follow-up study. There is more data from actual human research, making this a highly reliable epigenetic clock test.

 

What research has revealed the effectiveness of epigenetic clock testing?

 

Currently, the most evidence-based method of rejuvenation in anti-aging medicine is dietary restriction (calorie restriction). There is a study of calorie restriction involving more than 200 people that led to the understanding of the effectiveness of past epigenetic clock testing.

 

The study involved more than 200 people, checking the changes in biological age caused by calorie restriction in various epigenetic clocks, including the Horvath Clock, PhenoAge, and Dunedin PACE. The results were somewhat shocking, as only Dunedin PACE was able to reflect the rejuvenating effect with a significant difference. In other words, other types of epigenetic clock tests were unable to reflect the effects of anti-aging treatments.

 

It's like having a broken scale that's meant to reflect what kind of anti-aging treatment is right for you. Of course, it's a bit of an exaggeration to say it's broken, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks there's not much point in taking a test that doesn't reflect the effectiveness of the treatment.

 

As a result of this research, the development of epigenetic clock testing has been based on Dunedin PACE.

 

Epigenetic clock testing continues to evolve year after year

 

Even after Dunedin PACE, epigenetic clock testing continues to evolve.

 

In 2023, "OMICmAge" will be released, which can reflect not only epigenetics but also RNA and protein expression and aging phenotypes. "SymphonyAge" will be able to evaluate the biological age of each organ, i.e. lung age, brain age, kidney age, etc., and is reported to be able to actually measure it in 2024.

 

As you can see, the evolution of epigenetic clock testing is very rapid and shows no signs of stopping.

 

For epigenetic clock testing, come to Bianca Clinic!

 

If you are wondering "Where can I get my biological age measured?", please contact Bianca Clinic. Bianca Clinic focuses on longevity, which is the healthy way to live a long life, and is one of the few clinics in Japan that performs epigenetic clock testing. In addition to finding out your biological age, we will also show you the health of your physical functions, disease risks, and prevention methods, and consider medical approaches to rejuvenate your biological age from the inside of your body. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have, such as recommended foods, sports, and muscle training methods.

 

For those of you who want to know your biological age and the degree of aging, we encourage you to choose a reliable epigenetic clock test and confirm the accurate test results. Since it is not a cheap test, you do not want to take a meaningless test.

 

At Bianca Clinic, we are always able to provide the latest epigenetic clock testing, so please feel free to use our services.

 

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