Epigenetics and Ageing
Start from the beginning - what are we measuring?
DNA methylation is one of the ways our bodies chemically tag DNA. These tags don’t change the genetic code itself, but they do influence how genes are used - usually switching off sections of our DNA. As we get older, more of our DNA gets ‘turned off’ because of these epigenetic changes, and our bodies start to show more signs of age (1).
What is an “Epigenetic Clock”?
Researchers have developed tools called epigenetic clocks that look at DNA methylation patterns in a sample of blood or other tissue and estimate a person’s biological age — how “old” their body appears on a molecular level (2).
Biological age estimates can be different from how old you are - depending on how healthy a life you lead. If your biological age is higher than your real age, it suggests faster ageing — a concept called epigenetic age acceleration. Studies have found that:
Higher epigenetic age acceleration is linked with worse health outcomes like frailty and higher risk of age-related diseases (3).
Biological age tracks health risks such as stroke and cardiovascular disease better than chronological age alone (3).
Biological age Is linked with frailty in older adults, especially when using advanced clocks (4).
Biological age as measured by epigenetic clocks - is a powerful tool in the world of personalised medicine.
Why is this important?
The key point in all of this is that:
We can reduce our bioloigical age
Lifestyle changes, healthy behaviours, and certain medications can slow down and in some cases even reverse the hallmarks of ageing. By using state of the art sequencing technology and genomic medical science - our team will be able to use your results to create a personalised plan of lifestyle changes which can target your specific DNA methylation pattern
As more and more research is published linking different health behaviours to DNA methylation changes - our team will continue to stay at the forefront of research, and we will share our findings here
But be careful - there are companies out there who measure simple things like blood pressure and cholesterol and then claim they measure your biological age. While blood pressure and cholesterol levels are very important risk factors for stroke and heart attacks, that is not the same as measuring someone’s biological age on a molecular level, and can not deliver the personalised insights that are possible with todays technology.
References:
1) Xu Z. DNA methylation-based health predictors: advances, applications, and perspectives. Epigenomics. 2025 Oct;17(15):1083-1090. doi: 10.1080/17501911.2025.2550932. Epub 2025 Aug 26. PMID: 40856171; PMCID: PMC12520070.
2) Liang R, Tang Q, Chen J, Zhu L. Epigenetic Clocks: Beyond Biological Age, Using the Past to Predict the Present and Future. Aging Dis. 2024 Dec 13;16(6):3520-3545. doi: 10.14336/AD.2024.1495. PMID: 39751861; PMCID: PMC12539533.
3) Feng Jiacai , Huang Xingyu , Wu Rongqing , Ding Guohui , Liu Ming , Deng Renli, Accelerated biological aging based on DNA methylation clocks is a predictor of stroke occurrence: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Frontiers in Neurology, Volume 16 - 2025, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2025.1640853, DOI 10.3389/fneur.2025.1640853, ISSN 1664-2295
4) Jian Hua Tay, Duarte Barros, Weilan Wang, Vanessa Kristina Wazny, Andrea B Maier, Biological age measured by DNA methylation clocks and frailty: a systematic review and meta-analysis, The Lancet Healthy Longevity, Volume 6, Issue 10, 2025, 100773, ISSN 2666-7568, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100773.
