The Secret to Aging Backwards
Your age influences many things about your life: your wage packet, insurance premiums, dating habits, even your TV tastes and holiday preferences. But it reveals surprisingly little about your personal health, fitness, vulnerability to injury and illness, or cognitive function
Often referred to as “health age” — and sometimes more specifically as “heart age” or “fitness age” — this important measure can indicate whether your body resembles that of a marathon-running, blueberry-fueled teenager or a sedentary 65-year-old retiree.
“You only need to glance at school reunion photos to realise we don’t all age at the same pace,” says Sean Lerwill, a personal trainer with a background in molecular genetics. “It’s easy to spot who has stayed healthy and who seems to be aging prematurely.”
Other signs of age-related decline — such as diminished lung function, poorer cardiovascular health, lower bone density, and cognitive impairment — are far less obvious. Yet if these issues are present, even in someone who is chronologically young, they can increase vulnerability to conditions ranging from diabetes and Alzheimer’s to osteoporosis.
Research published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that people of the same chronological age can differ markedly in biological age well before midlife. Those deemed biologically “older” were already experiencing declines in both physical and cognitive performance.
Understanding your biological age can help reduce these risks — either by confirming that you’re aging well or motivating you to make changes that turn back the clock.
The precise biological processes behind aging — known as senescence — are still not fully understood.
Researchers are broadly split between “programmed” theories, which suggest that humans age according to a built-in biological schedule involving genetic, hormonal, and immune system changes, and “damage-based” theories, which argue that environmental exposures and lifestyle habits lead to DNA damage, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress that gradually impair cellular function.
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“Quality of life screenings are based on analysis of large population studies using results of high statistical significance,” says Pate.
For example, if you exercise regularly, science suggests you’re more likely to have the bone density of a younger person; but if you suffer from stress, research proves your risk of heart disease will be closer to that of an older person. The tests are not diagnostic but serve as helpful tools to assess your health age.
