What is DunedinPACE and what does it tell us about ageing?
DunedinPACE measures how quickly you are ageing biologically and is associated with disease and premature death, but the test is not yet a clinical tool: standardised criteria are lacking and routine use is not yet justified.
DunedinPACE is a blood test that uses chemical markers on your DNA to measure how quickly you are ageing biologically. Two fifty-year-olds may look identical on paper, yet score very differently on this measure: one is ageing biologically as if wearing down at 35 years per year, the other more than 1.5 times as fast. The test is reliable across repeated measurements and adds predictive value on top of other already established biological-age measures.
People who score high on DunedinPACE have a greater risk of chronic disease, a higher likelihood of disability, and a shorter life expectancy. The predecessor of this test already showed that faster agers also performed worse on balance, walking speed, strength and memory. Trained assessors also estimated them as older than their calendar age. DunedinPACE has likewise been linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and brain disease, although these are associations, not proven causal relationships.
The pace of ageing that DunedinPACE measures is partly shaped by experiences early in life. People who survived the Dutch Hunger Winter of 1944-1945 as unborn children had a faster pace sixty years later than peers who did not experience that period in the womb. The effect was stronger in women. Childhood adversity is also associated with a higher pace in early adulthood. These are associations; how strongly early circumstances truly steer the later pace has not yet been fully clarified.
There are early indications that the pace can also be slowed. In a randomised study of caloric restriction in healthy adults, the measured pace of ageing fell in people who ate less. This result is preliminary and the study is not large enough for firm conclusions, but it shows that DunedinPACE can also serve as a yardstick in intervention research.
An important caveat: the field still lacks standardised criteria for what an ageing biomarker should precisely measure and how it should be validated. This makes it difficult to use DunedinPACE as a routine clinical tool. The measure is promising as a research instrument, but the step into the consulting room has not yet been taken.
Based on two non-indexed studies (PMID 35029144, 32367804, 38833467), three reviews (PMID 28544158, 37657418, 37899027) and one randomised study (PMID 37118425). No meta-analyses available. The associations are consistent across multiple studies, but causality and clinical applicability have not yet been sufficiently established.
Does plasma exchange (plasmapheresis) work against ageing?
There are initial, cautiously positive indications from one small study, but it is too small and too influenced by commercial interests to draw any conclusions at this stage. Wait for larger, independent studies before considering this treatment.
How does ageing work and how can you slow it down?
Ageing is well described biologically, but there are no proven means of genuinely slowing it in humans yet. For now, focus on what works: sufficient exercise, a protein-rich diet and avoiding overeating.
What does your VO2max say about how fast you are ageing?
A higher VO2max is strongly associated with lower mortality and a more favourable biological age, but is more of a gauge of your lifestyle than an independent switch for longevity. Reducing body fat and moving more, including gently, delivers the greatest health benefit.
Can an epigenetic age test really tell you how old your body is?
An epigenetic age test provides a meaningful indication of biological ageing, but is not yet a definitive verdict on your health. Use the result as a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not as a fixed judgement.
Does your body age faster after a prolonged period of stress?
Prolonged stress demonstrably accelerates biological ageing through multiple measurable mechanisms. Reducing stress, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and addressing socioeconomic circumstances are the most concrete strategies the research offers.
Does your biological age change differently at night than during the day?
The night is biologically not a pause but an active recovery phase, and that phase deteriorates noticeably with age. Those who protect their sleep rhythm, with fixed times, limited screen use before bedtime and a longer nightly eating break, preserve that recovery function for longer.