As medical advances are helping to elucidate the mechanisms of aging, the idea of ​​longevity, which does not simply mean living a long life, but living a long and healthy life to enjoy it, is becoming more widespread.

 

One indicator of longevity is epigenetic clock testing.

What is epigenetic clock testing?

 

Epigenetic clock testing is a method for measuring biological age. Aging is defined as the natural process of change that begins in early adulthood and results in a gradual decline in bodily functions.

 

Although this change occurs in everyone, the speed of aging varies from person to person. The epigenetic clock test is characterized by its ability to check the speed of aging. There are various methods for measuring biological age, but it is currently considered to be the most reliable indicator.

 

The difference between chronological age and biological age

 

Even if people have the same chronological age, some people look younger and others look older. This is due to 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, so some people look younger and some look older than their actual age.

Biological age is used as an indicator of the progression of aging. By comparing the difference between your chronological age and your biological age, you can understand the progress of your own aging.

 

There are several methods for measuring biological age, one of which is epigenetic clock testing.

 

 

How does epigenetic clock testing work?

 

To understand how epigenetic clock testing works, we must first explain DNA methylation. Various studies have shown that there is a correlation between biological age and DNA methylation.

 

DNA is the blueprint for our bodies, found in the nucleus of cells. The sequence of DNA remains unchanged throughout our lives, but when methyl groups are attached to DNA, gene expression changes. The binding of methyl groups to DNA is called DNA methylation, and for example, it can change the proteins produced, resulting in signs of aging such as gray hair and wrinkles.

 

The epigenetic clock test measures the patterns of methyl groups that attach to DNA as we age, and uses AI to analyze minute chemical changes in specific sections of DNA to determine our biological age.

 

 

It is also known that biological age, as measured by the epigenetic clock, is related to apparent aging, meaning that if we can reverse our biological age, we will look younger.

 

Here, let me introduce you to a study.
The graph below is from a paper investigating the effect of long-term calorie restriction on DNA methylation measures of biological aging in healthy adults, showing the change in aging indicators between ad libitum (AL) and calorie restriction (CR).

 

Quote:https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.21.21263912v1.full

 

In this study, it was statistically confirmed that calorie restriction could slow down the pace of aging in DunedinPACE (graph on the bottom right), an index used to measure the speed of aging. Although calorie restriction does not completely "stop aging," it has been found that it may "help slow down the rate at which aging progresses."

 

Anti-aging medicine is now beginning to recognize that the rate of aging can be controlled, and it is now possible to take approaches that aim to reverse biological age. For example, there are many things you can be conscious of in your daily life, such as taking the necessary nutrients through supplements, learning about the nutrients and foods that suit you, and regularly doing muscle training and sports. In addition, there are medical approaches such as hormone replacement therapy and infusion therapy.

 

The first step in anti-aging care is to understand your biological age.

 

Other ways to determine biological age besides epigenetic clock testing

 

Until now, biological age has been visualized through methods such as telomere testing, which measures genetic age based on the length of telomeres, and AGEs (endothelial glycation level testing), which measures the accumulation of aging substances in the body by measuring the level of glycation.

 

 

Among the many testing methods, epigenetic clock testing is currently considered to be the most reliable indicator. Epigenetic clock testing first appeared in early 2020. It is widely used in anti-aging clinics overseas, including the United States, as a method to reflect the incidence and mortality rates of various diseases and the body's age related to aging.

 

The high reliability of this test can also be seen from the fact that many clinical trials using epigenetic clock testing are being conducted at world-renowned universities in research related to aging.

 

For epigenetic clock testing, come to Bianca Clinic!

 

If you are wondering "I want to check the degree of aging in my body and get younger!" or "Where can I measure my biological age?", please consult Bianca Clinic. Bianca Clinic is one of the few clinics in Japan that focuses on Longevity and performs epigenetic clock testing. Not only can epigenetic clock testing tell you your biological age, but it also provides personalized anti-aging care suggestions, current health conditions, disease risks, and prevention methods, and considers medical approaches to rejuvenate your biological age from the inside of the body. If you are interested in anti-aging care and Longevity, please come for a consultation!

 

▷What are the contents and fees of epigenetic clock testing (biological age testing)?CLICK HERE