A new study with insights from 51 longevity interventional studies in humans, shows what can slow down your biological age, according to 16 epigenetic clocks. Here are some key take aways. Teaser, the hyped longevity drug Rapamycin seems not to be one of them…
Aging biomarkers have the potential to significantly speed up research into anti-aging treatments. Instead of waiting decades for long-term trials, biomarkers could act as quick indicators of how well an intervention is working. However, before using them in this way, it’s essential to first determine if they respond to treatments targeting aging.
One group of biomarkers, called epigenetic clocks, is based on DNA methylation and can predict various aging outcomes. Research is underway to see if these clocks can be influenced by interventions. However, comparing studies is challenging due to the wide variety of treatments and different types of epigenetic clocks used.
To address this, the authors of the study, DNAm aging biomarkers are responsive: Insights from 51 longevity interventional studies in humans, created a comprehensive database of 51 longitudinal studies that track the effects of interventions. They calculated a consistent set of 16 key epigenetic clocks for each study, along with 95 additional DNA methylation biomarkers that help explain the changes in each clock. This makes it easier to compare findings across different studies.
Things that were showing a slow-down of biological aging according to the study was, for example:
- Anti-TNF therapy
- Metformin
- Ketamin
- AC11 supplement
- TruLacta
- Gastric Bypass
- Smoking cessation
- Kidney transplant
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- Vegan diet
- Mediterranian diet
- Low fat and low carb diets
Interventions that showed a acceleration of biological aging:
- Rapamycin
- Senolytics
- Buckwheet extract
- Follistatin
- Kidney dialysis
Bryan Johnson commented the study in his new longevity app Don’t Die:
– As far as I know, I am the most epigenetic-measured person in the world. We saw it’s potential early on as an important way to measure biological age and inform our decision making. We remain bullish.
On Rapamycin he commented:
– In September I stopped Rapamycin, based on concerns around its metabolic side-effects observed in my lab results (including increased cholestorol, blood sugar and RHR); the data here showed Rapamycin increased biological aging according to two clocks, while ineffective according to the others.
To learn more you can read the study on epigenetic age here. It’s a preprint and not yet peer reviewed. Also, here is an interview with researcher an co-author Raghav Sehgal about the study, with longevity influencer Siim Land: