An epigenetic watch to measure how old we are

2025/06/10 Etxebeste Aduriz, Egoitz - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna
• Genetika
• Bioteknologia

They have developed an epigenetic clock capable of measuring how old we are. Based on DNA methylation in the blood, it predicts the status of various physical and mental factors associated with aging. The study was published in the journal Nature Aging.

Researchers have relied on the concept of “innate capacity” developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop the epigenetic clock. Innate ability is the sum of a person’s physical and mental abilities and is a good indicator of aging. Six key functions are considered to measure innate competence: mobility, cognition, mental health, vision, hearing, and nutrition/vitality.

These six functions can be measured in different ways: cognition tests, physical tests, visual and auditory exams, nutritional assessments, etc. Well, researchers have linked spontaneous fitness data from a thousand people between the ages of 20 and 102 to DNA methylation measured in their blood samples. Thus, they have found that the intrinsic capacity, and hence aging, can be well predicted by 91 methylation sites.