Can a new epigenetic biomarker of aging, developed using composite clinical measures of phenotypic age, more accurately predict lifespan and healthspan outcomes compared to existing biomarkers?
Epigenetic Age (Aging 2018, PMID 29676998) — increased epigenetic age relative to chronological age was associated with increased activation of pro-inflammatory and interferon pathways, and decreased activation of transcriptional/translational machinery, DNA damage response, and mitochondrial signatures. No numeric effect size is reported for Epigenetic Age in the source abstract.
Source: Aging 2018, PMID 29676998 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: low
Aging · 2018 · PMID 29676998 · DOI 10.18632/aging.101414
A new epigenetic biomarker, DNAm PhenoAge, is a more accurate predictor of various aging-related health outcomes than previous methods.
The question
Can a new epigenetic biomarker of aging, developed using composite clinical measures of phenotypic age, more accurately predict lifespan and healthspan outcomes compared to existing biomarkers?
What they tested
Incorporating composite clinical measures of phenotypic age, which capture differences in lifespan and healthspan, will identify novel CpGs and lead to a more powerful epigenetic biomarker of aging than those developed using chronological age alone.
How they did it
The researchers developed a new epigenetic biomarker, DNAm PhenoAge, using an innovative two-step process. This biomarker was developed using data from whole blood. They then tested its correlation with age in various tissues and cells and performed an in-depth transcriptional analysis in sorted cells to understand associated pathways.
What they found
DNAm PhenoAge strongly outperformed previous measures in predicting various aging outcomes, including all-cause mortality, cancers, healthspan, physical functioning, and Alzheimer's disease. This biomarker correlated strongly with age in every tissue and cell tested. Increased epigenetic age relative to chronological age was associated with increased activation of pro-inflammatory and interferon pathways, and decreased activation of transcriptional/translational machinery, DNA damage response, and mitochondrial signatures.
What it means
DNAm PhenoAge is a single epigenetic biomarker of aging that effectively captures risks for diverse outcomes across multiple tissues and cells and provides insights into important aging pathways.
Limitations
The abstract does not explicitly state any limitations of the study.
Where the published abstract does not list limitations, we say so rather than inventing them. Read the full paper on PubMed before drawing conclusions.
The paper at a glance
| Title | An epigenetic biomarker of aging for lifespan and healthspan |
|---|---|
| Journal | Aging |
| Year | 2018 |
| PMID | 29676998 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.18632/aging.101414 ↗ |
| Topic | Biological age, epigenetics & aging clocks |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
Where Magellan uses this paper
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Comprehensive Blood-Biomarker Testing
Many of the strongest predictors of healthy aging (glucose control, inflammation, lipid and hormonal balance) are silent until measured. Regular biomarker tracking turns aging into a set of actionable numbers and lets interventions be tailored and monitored objectively.
Epigenetic Age (DNA-Methylation Clock) Testing
DNA-methylation clocks are among the strongest available predictors of lifespan and healthspan, and second-generation clocks predict mortality risk across many conditions. They provide an objective baseline and a way to measure whether longevity interventions are moving biological age in the right direction.
Molecules & mechanisms in this paper
Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). Can a new epigenetic biomarker of aging, developed using composite clinical measures of phenotypic age, more accurately predict lifespan and healthspan outcomes compared to existing biomarkers? [Plain-English summary of Aging 2018, PMID 29676998, DOI 10.18632/aging.101414]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/epigenetic_clock.html@misc{magellan_epigenetic_clock,
title = {Can a new epigenetic biomarker of aging, developed using composite clinical measures of phenotypic age, more accurately predict lifespan and healthspan outcomes compared to existing biomarkers?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/epigenetic_clock.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 29676998; DOI 10.18632/aging.101414; Aging 2018. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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