Aging is inevitable, but we all want to stay fit and healthy for as long as possible as we age. And biological age — a person’s physiological state rather than the actual time since their birth — is a good measure of how well you are aging.
Biomarkers in the blood, called epigenetic clocks, can measure biological age by looking at methyl groups attached to DNA. Previous research has shown that these epigenetic tags on DNA change over the course of a person’s lifetime.
Now, a study looking at these blood biomarkers has found that some dietary, lifestyle and pharmacological interventions may change the methylation patterns on a person’s DNA and indicate how fast they are aging.
The study, published in Nature Medicine, found that a Mediterranean diet, regular exercise, some diabetes and weight-management medications, and some anti-inflammatory drugs might be linked to slower aging.
Şebnem Ünlüişler, Chief Longevity Officer and genetic engineer at the London Regenerative Institute, who was not involved in the study, explained for Medical News Today:
“The important contribution of this study is its scale and standardised approach. The researchers harmonised data from 51 longitudinal intervention studies and applied the same panel of 16 epigenetic clocks and 94 additional DNA methylation biomarkers. This made it possible to compare how different biomarkers respond to different interventions more systematically. The study also suggests that newer biomarkers trained to predict mortality risk or the pace of aging, particularly DunedinPACE and PCGrimAge, may be more responsive than clocks designed primarily to predict chronological age.”
Corresponding author Raghav Sehgal, PhD, Associate Research Scientist in Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, said that while their results were interesting, they cannot prove that these interventions slow aging.
“Biomarkers are useful because they may let us see biological changes over months or years, rather than having to wait decades for outcomes like disease or death. But they are not a replacement for long-term studies. We still need to show that changes in these measures actually translate into people staying healthier, functioning better, or living longer,” Sehgal told MNT.
The researchers combined data from 51 anti-aging intervention studies, measuring more than 110 DNA methyl biomarkers related to aging. They then looked at the effect of various interventions — diet, exercise, certain medications, and over-the-counter supplements — on these biomarkers.
Two lifestyle interventions were effective in reducing epigenetic aging, according to the biomarker measurements — following a healthy diet, such as a Mediterranean, low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet, and engaging in regular exercise.
They saw the greatest effect with some medications. Metformin, a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes, semaglutide, a GLP-1 agonist prescribed for type 2 diabetes and weight control, and anti-TNF therapies, which are used to control inflammation, all significantly decreased age across all 16 epigenetic clock biomarkers.
“Pharmacological interventions showed the largest average effects, while lifestyle and dietary interventions tended to produce more consistent responses across different biomarkers,” Ünlüişler told MNT.
For supplements, there was little evidence of anti-aging effects. “The evidence for supplements was limited and inconsistent,” Sehgal told us.
“That does not mean supplements are useless. They can be valuable for people with specific deficiencies or medical needs. But for generally healthy people, many anti-aging claims are ahead of the evidence. It is sensible to focus first on diet, exercise, sleep, and preventive care, and to discuss supplements with a clinician when appropriate,” he added.
However, Ünlüişler cautioned against taking these types of medication solely for anti-aging purposes:
“The findings involving metformin, semaglutide and anti-TNF therapies are scientifically interesting, but they should not be interpreted as evidence that these medications should be taken by healthy people to slow aging.”
“Some of the studies involved specific patient populations, so the observed changes may partly reflect improvements in the underlying disease, inflammation or metabolic health rather than a direct reversal of aging itself,” she explained.
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While the findings give insight into DNA aging biomarkers, Ünlüişler cautioned that “this study highlights both the potential and the current limitations of epigenetic biomarkers.“
“The next essential step is to establish whether changes in these biomarkers reliably predict meaningful outcomes such as preserved physical and cognitive function, reduced disease incidence and longer healthspan,“ she advised.
“Until then, epigenetic clocks should be viewed as promising research tools rather than standalone clinical endpoints or definitive measures of an individual’s health,” added Ünlüişler.
“The key point is that a biomarker responding to an intervention is not the same as proving that the intervention slows aging. Our study asks whether these measures detect change. The next challenge is to identify which changes are meaningful for health and longevity.”
– Raghav Sehgal, PhD
“There is not yet a single intervention proven to broadly slow aging in humans,” Sehgal told us. “The best-supported measures remain fairly unglamorous: not smoking, exercising regularly, eating well, sleeping adequately, and managing blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.”
Ünlüişler agreed, noting that “regular aerobic and resistance exercise, a balanced Mediterranean-style diet, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, limiting alcohol and getting sufficient, consistent sleep all support long-term metabolic, cardiovascular and cognitive health.“
“It is equally important to monitor and properly manage conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes,” she advised.
“We cannot change our chronological age, but we can influence many of the biological processes that determine how well we age. At present, these established behaviours have much stronger evidence for supporting healthspan than any single supplement or so-called anti-aging treatment.”
– Sebnem Unluisler
