Biological Age Methodology

The science behind your bio-age calculation

What is Biological Age?

Biological age (also called "bio-age" or "epigenetic age") measures how well your body is aging compared to your chronological age. While your chronological age simply counts years since birth, biological age reflects the functional state of your body based on biomarkers that correlate with mortality and age-related disease risk.

A person with a biological age lower than their chronological age has biomarkers suggesting better-than-average health for their age cohort. Conversely, a higher biological age suggests accelerated aging.

Our Algorithms

Gevety calculates biological age using multiple validated algorithms, each with different strengths:

PhenoAge (Levine et al., 2018)

Primary algorithm. PhenoAge was developed by Morgan Levine and colleagues at Yale and published in the journal Aging. It uses 9 routine blood biomarkers commonly available in standard lab panels:

  • Albumin
  • Creatinine
  • Glucose
  • C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
  • Lymphocyte Percentage
  • Mean Cell Volume (MCV)
  • Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW)
  • Alkaline Phosphatase
  • White Blood Cell Count

PhenoAge was trained on NHANES III mortality data and validated across multiple cohorts. It predicts all-cause mortality, cancer mortality, and cardiovascular disease mortality.

Citation: Levine ME, et al. "An epigenetic biomarker of aging for lifespan and healthspan." Aging. 2018;10(4):573-591. PMID: 29676998

GrimAge2 (Lu et al., 2022)

Advanced epigenetic clock. GrimAge2 is a second-generation epigenetic clock that incorporates DNA-methylation-based surrogates for plasma proteins. It requires methylation array data, which Gevety approximates using available blood biomarkers when full epigenetic data isn't available.

GrimAge2 has demonstrated strong prediction of time-to-death, cardiovascular disease, and other age-related outcomes. It improves upon the original GrimAge by updating training data and refining protein surrogate estimates.

Citation: Lu AT, et al. "DNA methylation GrimAge version 2."Aging. 2022;14(23):9484-9549. PMID: 36516495

Vascular Age (Framingham Heart Study)

Cardiovascular-specific. Vascular age estimates how old your blood vessels appear based on cardiovascular risk factors. Gevety uses the Framingham Risk Score methodology adapted for biological age estimation.

Factors include:

  • Total Cholesterol and HDL Cholesterol
  • Blood Pressure (systolic)
  • Diabetes status (inferred from HbA1c/glucose)
  • Smoking status

Citation: D'Agostino RB, et al. "General cardiovascular risk profile for use in primary care." Circulation. 2008;117(6):743-753. PMID: 18212285

How We Calculate Your Score

  1. Biomarker extraction — We parse your lab report PDF to extract relevant biomarker values with their units
  2. Unit normalization — Values are converted to standard units used by each algorithm (e.g., mg/dL, mmol/L)
  3. Algorithm application — Each biological age algorithm is applied using the published formulas and coefficients
  4. Composite scoring — When multiple algorithms can be calculated, we provide both individual scores and a weighted composite
  5. Interpretation — Results are contextualized against your chronological age to show aging acceleration or deceleration

Limitations

Biological age calculations have important limitations:

  • Estimates, not absolutes — These are statistical models trained on population data; individual variation exists
  • Biomarker availability — Accuracy depends on having all required biomarkers; missing values may reduce precision
  • Validation populations — Algorithms were primarily validated on Western populations; applicability may vary
  • Acute illness effects — Temporary conditions (infections, inflammation) can affect biomarkers and skew results
  • Not a diagnosis — Bio-age is a health metric, not a diagnostic tool; always consult healthcare providers

Improving Your Biological Age

Research suggests several interventions may improve biological age markers:

  • Nutrition — Mediterranean diet, caloric restriction, and intermittent fasting show promise in some studies
  • Exercise — Regular aerobic and resistance training associated with slower biological aging
  • Sleep — Adequate sleep quality and duration linked to better aging biomarkers
  • Stress management — Chronic stress accelerates biological aging; mindfulness may help
  • Clinical interventions — Managing chronic conditions (blood pressure, glucose, lipids) improves relevant biomarkers

Gevety's 90-day protocols provide personalized recommendations based on your specific biomarker profile.

References

  1. Levine ME, Lu AT, Quach A, et al. An epigenetic biomarker of aging for lifespan and healthspan. Aging. 2018;10(4):573-591.
  2. Lu AT, Binder AM, Zhang J, et al. DNA methylation GrimAge version 2. Aging. 2022;14(23):9484-9549.
  3. D'Agostino RB Sr, Vasan RS, Pencina MJ, et al. General cardiovascular risk profile for use in primary care. Circulation. 2008;117(6):743-753.
  4. Horvath S, Raj K. DNA methylation-based biomarkers and the epigenetic clock theory of ageing. Nat Rev Genet. 2018;19(6):371-384.
  5. Belsky DW, Caspi A, Corcoran DL, et al. DunedinPACE, a DNA methylation biomarker of the pace of aging. eLife. 2022;11:e73420.

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