From an article by Elaine Schmidt:

Why do some people lead a perfectly healthy lifestyle yet still die young? A new international study suggests that the answer lies in our DNA. The findings are published in the journal Aging.

Scientists have long searched to identify biomarkers for biological age, according to study co-author Douglas Kiel, HMS professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a senior scientist for the Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife. This time they looked at methylation, a natural process that chemically alters DNA over time.

“In geriatric medicine, we are always struck by the difference between our patients’ chronological age and how old they appear physiologically,” said Kiel. “This study validates the use of DNA methylation as a biomarker for biological age. And if we can prove that DNA methylation accelerates aging, we can devise strategies to slow the rate and maximize a person’s years of good health.”

 

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