Have you ever seen a person whose biological age is in his/her 50s but perform and look like in their 30S? A person might look and feel a certain age on the outside (e.g., 30 years old) while their organs and cells on the inside could be a different age. This phenomenon is often called “biological age” versus “chronological age.“
Here’s how it works:
- Chronological Age: Your actual age is based on the number of years you’ve been alive. For example, if you were born 30 years ago, your chronological age is 30.
- Biological Age: This is an estimate of how your body is aging on the inside, at the cellular and molecular levels. Epigenetic clocks help determine biological age. They analyze chemical modifications (methylation) on your DNA, which change over time. These modifications can be used to estimate the age of your cells.
Now, let’s consider a scenario:
- Someone might look and feel like they’re 50 years old, which matches their chronological age.
- However, scientists may find that their cells and organs have aged differently when they use epigenetic clocks to assess their biological age. For example, the epigenetic clock might suggest that the person’s cells have undergone changes that are typically seen in someone who is younger, say 35 or 40.
This difference between chronological age and biological age can happen for several reasons:
- Lifestyle Factors: How you live your life, such as diet, exercise, stress management, and sleep, can influence how well your body ages. A healthy lifestyle can help keep your biological age in sync with your chronological age.
- Genetics: Some people have genes that make them naturally age more slowly or quickly than others.
- Environmental Exposures: Factors like pollution, toxins, and even experiences in early life can leave epigenetic marks on your DNA that affect how your cells age.
- Disease or Health Conditions: Certain illnesses or health conditions can accelerate or decelerate the aging process in specific organs or systems.
In summary, the answer is yes; a person can be of different ages throughout his/her body. Epigenetic clocks provide insights into how our bodies age on the inside, which may not always match our outward appearance or how we feel. The difference between biological and chronological age highlights the importance of lifestyle choices and environmental factors in determining overall health and longevity.