Calculating Biological Age

Calculators for predicting biological age:

The idea of biological age is that it shows how your lifestyle and genetics interact to estimate your cellular age more accurately than what the calendar says (chronological age). These biological age calculators are based on algorithms created using large population data sets and mortality outcomes.

1) Aging.ai – You can input your basic blood test biomarkers along with age and weight. It will predict your biological age.  The information on how it is calculated is included in this research paper.

2) Calculator – There is a second way of predicting biological age based on blood test biomarkers. The calculator is available on Google Drive, and you need to download it as open it in Excel or Google Sheets to use it. It is based on this research paper.  Here is a slideshow explaining the algorithm with pretty charts. The calculator isn’t as pretty as the aging.ai interface, but it is supposed to be more accurate. The Ptypic Age result in the bottom row of the spreadsheet is giving you your phenotypical age. This basically correlates your mortality risk to the ‘phenotypical age’ — so if your phenotypical age is 50, your statistical mortality risk would be that of a 50-year-old.

For me, the two calculators came up with different biological or phenotypical ages (34 and 38). I was using last year’s blood work, so I would have been 46 when I got it done.

3) DNA methylation tests: There are companies selling kits for testing your biological age via DNA methylation. This method should be the most accurate (and expensive!) if you are wanting a more in-depth look. The myDNAge kits are $299.

4) Frailty Index- This article includes (towards the bottom) an old-school way to calculate your age by adding up your score for the “Frailty Index”. The concept is based on this 2017 study on aging.

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