Biological ageBio age
An estimate of how old your body seems, versus your calendar age.
Biological age is an attempt to gauge how well or poorly your body has aged compared with the years you've lived, using biomarkers rather than your birth date. Various methods exist, from blood-based scores to epigenetic 'clocks'.
It matters because someone's calendar age doesn't fully capture their health or risk: two 50-year-olds can differ greatly. A biological age higher than your calendar age flags elevated risk and, encouragingly, may respond to lifestyle change.
In practice, these estimates are useful for motivation and tracking trends rather than as precise verdicts; different clocks disagree, and the science of measuring ageing is still developing.
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Written and reviewed by Mathew Beale — MSc Biotechnology, University of Reading.
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