Can CheekAge Really Predict Your Death?

Researchers from the company Tally Health claim that their genetic test CheekAge can predict biological age and death. There are some concerns about these claims.

Determining biological age using blood or mouth samples is popular nowadays due to the rise of ageing clocks. However, determining biological age using a number of epigenetic tests is not only questionable, but its usefulness can also be questioned.

After all, molecular ageing is tissue-specific and ageing is a complex and multifaceted process. Epigenetic ageing clocks can only estimate epigenetic age and can at best be an indication of biological age.

However, determining biological age and a possible remaining lifespan have more of a sensational value and less of a medical value. Their importance for adapting to a healthy lifestyle is not scientifically substantiated.

The moment of death can – fortunately – only be estimated with a very wide confidence interval. At the moment, there are therefore no arguments for using these tests for medical purposes.

Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging/articles/10.3389/fragi.2024.1460360/full

Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 2024-11-03 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2024