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'Aging clocks' tell you how much 'older' you are than your chronological age. How do they work?
Live Science ^ | August 29, 2025 | Patrick Sullivan

Posted on 08/29/2025 12:47:43 PM PDT by Red Badger

If you want to know your chronological age, simply count the candles on your next birthday cake. Calculating your biological age, though, is a little more complicated.

Chronological age is the number of years between your birth and now; it's purely time-based. Biological age, on the other hand, describes the progressive breakdown of an individual's physiological and molecular systems over time; it's a measure of how "aged" the body is. The calculation aims to answer the question of how well your systems, organs and cells are working compared to an average, healthy baseline.

"Biological age is notoriously hard to define because it's very much a conceptual notion," said Eric Sun, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at MIT, where he will launch a new lab starting in 2026. The concept requires you to think less about pure chronology and more about how your body is performing over time, and what your risks and vulnerabilities for various diseases might be in the future, he said.

Scientists have devised a number of "clocks" aimed at determining people's biological ages. Here's how they work and why they might be useful.

What are "biological aging clocks"? Think of a battery: New batteries start at 100% capacity, in terms of their ability to reliably hold a charge, but that capacity drops over time as the battery cycles on and off and powers devices. Biological age is a similar concept of capacity, and the tools researchers and clinicians use to measure your capacity are known as aging clocks, also known as "omic clocks" or "biological age tests."

Although such clocks are in development, the science of biological age is still in its infancy.

(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Military/Veterans; Science; Society
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1 posted on 08/29/2025 12:47:43 PM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

2 posted on 08/29/2025 12:49:40 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ( O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and his mercy endures forever. — Psalm 106)
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To: Red Badger

News from the world of politicized health.

Do what we say or you’ll die.


3 posted on 08/29/2025 12:51:07 PM PDT by fruser1
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To: fruser1

The environmental crazies have already declared me dead eight times...good think I have nine lives.

Lol.


4 posted on 08/29/2025 12:53:26 PM PDT by cgbg (It was not us. It was them--all along.)
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To: Red Badger

>> “Biological age is notoriously hard to define because it’s very much a conceptual notion,”

Like gender, right?

And “he’s a biologist”!


5 posted on 08/29/2025 12:53:55 PM PDT by Nervous Tick (Hope, as a righteous product of properly aligned Faith, IS in fact a strategy.)
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To: Red Badger

“It’s not years, it’s the miles”.

Indiana Jones


6 posted on 08/29/2025 12:54:08 PM PDT by Huskrrrr (Alinsky, you magnificent Bastard, I read your book!)
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To: Red Badger

The most important nutrient, program, system is................Attitude!

Besides longevity, a positive attitude, optimism, brings heath, and sometimes smiles. El Rush-Bo says that pessimism is easy. Optimism takes work.

A positive attitude overcomes many things. It overcomes most democRATS and DemoKKKrats.


7 posted on 08/29/2025 12:57:27 PM PDT by Ronaldus Magnus III (Do, or do not, there is no try )
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To: Red Badger
According to a physical I had in 1992 I would be 90+ "relative" years old by now.

According to my most recent physical a month ago, I am the equivalent of 67 "relative" years old.

Hmmm, doesn't seem like much science is involved there.

8 posted on 08/29/2025 12:59:31 PM PDT by pfflier
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To: Red Badger

If one identifies as a female, will you live longer?


9 posted on 08/29/2025 1:00:32 PM PDT by alternatives?
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To: Red Badger
"Biological age" sounds as accurate as the BMI (Body Mass Index) measurement they use to determine obesity. Anything over 25 is "obese."

It uses a totally flawed formula that does not include a cubic factor, so it is not considering volume.

According to their BMIs, a tall, skinny person can be obese, while a short, fat person can be the shape of a pumpkin and the calculation says they aren't.

10 posted on 08/29/2025 1:10:55 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of racism, anger, hate and violence.)
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To: Red Badger

I’ve done quite well over the past 70+ years. It’s the weekends that have taken it’s toll.


11 posted on 08/29/2025 1:11:46 PM PDT by Bob Mc
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

According to my BMI and my wife I am obese..................


12 posted on 08/29/2025 1:14:33 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger
Although such clocks are in development, the science of biological age is still in its infancy.

Haven't life insurance companies been working on this for centuries?
13 posted on 08/29/2025 1:15:55 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
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To: Huskrrrr

My frequent flier miles are adding up fast. I’M gaining on Methuselah.


14 posted on 08/29/2025 1:31:09 PM PDT by BipolarBob (There's a bike in town that keeps running me over! It's a vicious cycle.)
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To: Red Badger

My doc had a program where he’s put in information about me, weight, age, diabetes, blood pressure, former smoker, and the thing would tell me what my life expectancy would be.

I’ve outlived that, so I don’t think the thing was very reliable.


15 posted on 08/29/2025 1:47:51 PM PDT by Fido969
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To: Red Badger

You’re only as old as the woman you feel....


16 posted on 08/29/2025 2:11:22 PM PDT by Organic Panic ('Was I molested. I think so' - Ashley Biden in response to her father joining her in the shower. )
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To: Red Badger

God has an appointed time for us to die. An ‘aging clock’ won’t prolong what has already been set in time.


17 posted on 08/29/2025 2:23:40 PM PDT by stars & stripes forever (Blessed is the nation whose GOD is the LORD. ~ Psalm 33:12)
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To: stars & stripes forever

“An ‘aging clock’ won’t prolong what has already been set in time.”

You misunderstand.

An aging clock does not extend your life,


18 posted on 08/29/2025 2:26:37 PM PDT by TexasGator (The 750 hp Florida Gnat)
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To: Red Badger

later


19 posted on 08/29/2025 2:37:54 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Import The Third World,Become The Third World)
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