Explainer
What is biological age?
Your calendar age counts birthdays. Biological age tries to estimate how old your body behaves. Here’s what the different tests can and can’t tell you.
Three ways to measure ageing
How your body performs
Grip strength, leg strength, balance, walking speed and fitness. These predict independence and survival in large studies, and every one of them responds to training. This is our Functional Age Check.
Blood markers of ageing
Markers such as suPAR reflect long-term inflammation and can be turned into an estimated biological age. They’re steadier than many tests and useful for tracking change, but haven’t yet been shown to improve outcomes.
DNA methylation clocks
“Epigenetic clocks” read chemical tags on your DNA. Results can vary between laboratories and over short periods, and no trial has shown that acting on them improves health. We don’t currently offer them.
What actually moves the needle
Whatever your biological age result, the changes that make the biggest difference are the same: not smoking, keeping blood pressure and cholesterol (ApoB) down, controlling blood sugar, building fitness and strength, sleeping well, drinking within UK guidance, and staying socially connected.
That’s why we suggest starting with the tests that point to action, such as the Functional Age Check and Lp(a), before the newer markers.
Our rule of thumb
If a result couldn’t change what you or your doctor would do, it’s information, not prevention. We’re happy to provide it, but we won’t sell it to you as the main event.