Epigenetic Age is a biological measure of aging derived from analyzing patterns of DNA methylation across the genome, offering a more dynamic and accurate estimate of biological wear and tear than chronological age. This measure, often calculated using specific mathematical algorithms known as “epigenetic clocks,” reflects the cumulative impact of environmental factors, lifestyle choices, and hormonal exposures on gene expression. Discrepancies between one’s chronological and epigenetic age, known as age acceleration, are clinically associated with increased risk of age-related diseases and mortality.
Origin
The concept stems from the field of epigenetics, a term coined by Conrad Waddington in the 1940s, which describes heritable changes in gene function that occur without a change in the DNA sequence itself. The specific measurement of “Epigenetic Age” gained prominence with the work of Steve Horvath in 2013, who demonstrated that DNA methylation at specific CpG sites reliably tracks age across diverse human tissues. This work provided the first robust molecular biomarker for biological age.
Mechanism
The mechanism relies on DNA methylation, the covalent addition of a methyl group to a cytosine base, typically preceding a guanine (CpG site). As an organism ages, specific CpG sites consistently gain or lose methylation, a process thought to be regulated by cellular maintenance systems and environmental signals. The epigenetic clock algorithms quantify the state of methylation at a select set of these age-sensitive CpG sites to produce a highly correlated biological age estimate. This methylation status influences chromatin structure and gene transcription, thus regulating the expression of genes involved in cellular senescence and repair.
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