Chinese scientists discover new gene that regulates lifespan

Mechanism of action of OSER1 in lifespan regulation. (Image provided by Southwest University).

Chinese scientists have discovered a new gene, OSER1, that regulates lifespan. This breakthrough provides a novel scientific basis for the study of extending human lifespans. 

The team studied the mechanism of action in various species such as silkworms, nematodes, and fruit flies. As a target gene of the longevity gene FOXO, OSER1's impact on lifespan has been supported by human subject research results.

This breakthrough finding was made by Dai Fangyin’s team from the National Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Insect Resources at Southwest University and scientists from abroad. The results have been published in the international academic journal "Nature Communications."

FOXO is one of the few confirmed human longevity genes. It affects lifespan by regulating pathways related to aging, but the targets mediating these effects are largely unknown. 

The research team conducted interference experiments on 42 potential direct target genes of the FOXO gene in silkworms, which are similar to genes in nematodes. They discovered that down-regulating the expression of 7 genes significantly shortened the lifespan of nematodes, while down-regulating 3 genes extended their lifespan. Crucially, gene OSER1 had the most significant impact on lifespan when its expression was reduced.

“OSER1 is present in the genomes of various species including nematodes, silkworms, fruit flies, zebrafish, African clawed frogs, mice, rhesus monkeys, and humans,” said Song Jiangbo from National Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Insect Resource at Southwest University, who is also a co-author of the paper. 

The study revealed that increasing the expression of OSER1 in silkworms, nematodes, and fruit flies led to a significant extension of their lifespan. This discovery could have implications for understanding the aging process and potentially developing interventions to increase lifespan in other species, including humans. 

Research findings on human subjects have confirmed that OSER1 plays a role in determining the human lifespan, according to Song. The study revealed that individuals over 90 years old had 49 common single nucleotide variations in the OSER1 gene, with seven of them showing a significant link to longevity when compared to a younger control group.

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IS YOUR BODY AS OLD AS YOU? Chronological Age Vs Biological Age: Why Knowing The Difference Matters

 

Rise of the monkey king: Black Myth: Wukong

 

China's video game “Black Myth: Wukong” hits the global market

 

Black Myth: Wukong is an action role-playing game developed and published by Game Science. Black Myth: Wukong is available on August 20, 2024 for PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Windows (PC) with Xbox Series X/S releasing at a later date.

 

 

Rise of the Monkey King (Volume 1 of "Journey to the West") - Audiobook

China goes ape over culture-boosting Black Myth: Wukong video game.

CHINESE state media threw its back behind China’s most successful single-player video game to date, saying its adaptation of the Ming dynasty epic Journey To The West would force Western players to learn more about the country’s culture.

Black Myth: Wukong, based on a mythical monkey king from a Chinese literary classic who can shape-shift into humans, animals and inanimate objects, was being played last Wednesday by 2.2 million concurrent players on Steam, a major online gaming platform, a day after its release.

“Chinese players in the past have gone through this process of cross-cultural understanding, now it is the turn of overseas players to learn ... and understand Chinese traditional culture,” China Central Television wrote in a blog.

Drawing heavily on the story of the beloved magical monkey, Sun Wukong, who acquires supernatural powers by practising Taoism, Black Myth: Wukong can only be enjoyed if players are familiar with the plot of the 16th century classic, the national broadcaster said.

The Pc/console-based game was launched last week by Game Science, a Tencent-backed startup, to much fanfare on Chinese social media. Hashtags on the video game accumulated 1.7 billion views on China’s X-like microblog Weibo.

“This release marks a bold foray by Chinese game developers into a market long dominated by Western triple-a titles,” the official Xinhua news agency wrote in an editorial last week.

“With this breakthrough, the default language of a triple-a game is no longer English, but Chinese,” it added.

Black Myth: Wukong would “attract more global players to pay attention to domestic games”, said analysts at Shanghai-based Topsperity Securities, adding that companies across a wide range of sectors could expect to profit off intellectual property tie-ins.

Ride-hailing firm Didi, Lenovo Group and Luckin Coffee are incorporating elements inspired by Black Myth: Wukong into their promotional campaigns.

Black Myth: Wukong was widely lauded as China’s first AAA game – high development costs, long production cycles and immense investment, with industry analysts viewing its sudden fame and popularity as marking an inflection point for China’s PC/ console gaming sector.

Pre-sales, which began in June, had reached Cny400mil (Us$56mil/rm245mil) as of last Tuesday when the game was launched, according to Citi.

Feng Ji, founder of Game Science, told Xinhua in an interview that the global attention has surpassed his initial expectations and that his team would develop more of such games.

“We see signs that the government is recognising the industry’s potential value for exports and culture, notably the interview of Game Science’s founder by state media Xinhua agency ahead of its game launch,” Goldman Sachs wrote in a note.

Goldman added that it expected more Chinese AAA games to enter the global market in the future.

Be that as it may, gaming stocks were unchanged last Wednesday, with concept stocks linked to the game’s development down after having risen considerably over the past month.

Unlike other Chinese games that are played on mobile devices and involve endless in-game micro-transactions, “Black Myth: Wukong” is a one-time purchase with a price tag of CNY268 (RM165) for the standard version and CNY328 (RM200) for the premium.

“It is unclear whether Black Myth: Wukong’s business model can bring more profits ... the important thing ... is that China is finally getting it’s own AAA game that can excite the world,” stateowned tabloid Global Times cited an industry insider as saying.

“Global players will be able to get a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese culture while having fun,” Global Times declared. – Reuters

 Some Western media politicize every Chinese achievement, even 'Black Myth: Wukong'

Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

Black Myth: Wukong, a video game that embodies the dream of Chinese gamers to have a game deeply rooted in Chinese culture and on par with the best games globally, has been a major hit since its debut. However, just like every success China has had, Western media's criticism is never far behind.  

Even if Western media can't deny the game's global success, there is often a classic "but" in their reports. "'Black Myth: Wukong' Is a Hit. But Why Is the Game So Controversial?" US magazine Rolling Stone asked recently, stressing that the game lacks "inclusivity and diversity." A BBC headline was entirely negative: "Blockbuster Chinese video game tried to police players - and divided the internet."

The criticism about inclusivity and diversity appears to be a rushed judgment from journalists or commentator who spent only a few hours with the game. If they played longer, they would see that female characters do appear over time. The point it, true players don't really care about it. As some overseas netizens put it - it's a game, not a movie, it doesn't need to cater to Western political correctness by including diverse female characters or transgender individuals.

The recent attacks from some Western media outlets come after Black Myth: Wukong has challenged the gaming ecosystem in the Western world, Shen Yi, a professor at Fudan University, told the Global Times. In this system, consulting firms like Sweet Baby Inc offer costly diversity, equity, and inclusion advice for video games. Black Myth: Wukong, however, not only reportedly showed no interest to obediently conform to distorted rules but also achieved unprecedented success. This has sparked both envy and fear among those who control the ecosystem and led to the recent attacks focused on gender, diversity, and inclusivity.

Moreover, the radar of some anti-China forces is triggered when Black Myth: Wukong is increasingly considered as a symbol of China's soft power, prompting foreign players to rediscover China's capabilities while promoting the global spread of traditional Chinese culture. The BBC - which cannot accept the fact that China's image is improving through the game - wrongly accuses China of censorship to dampen international perceptions of China. 

Their strategy of attacking the game is just the same old Western tactic - politicizing every Chinese achievement, even in the realm of gaming. What's next? Will they portray the Chinese gaming industry as a "threat" in the future? 

What they fail to grasp is that whether players choose to pay for a game is never about ideology, or political correctness over diversity. The game's quality is what truly matters. Feng Ji, founder of the game's developer Game Science, recently said that cultural export was not the initial goal of the game. Yet he believes that if the quality is high enough, it will naturally radiate to the overseas market. 

He made it. Black Myth: Wukong's high quality has fueled its popularity. Many international players enjoy the game, which has inspired their curiosity about Journey to the West and Chinese culture.

If Black Myth: Wukong hadn't been successful, if it hadn't topped sales charts worldwide, and if it had been just an average game, would Western media even care about it? They would probably just claim that China has no AAA game. The fact that they attack the game proves its success and highlights the persistent cultural hegemony and arrogance of some in the West. While Chinese people have long been opening up to the world, some Westerners are still unwilling to recognize China as it is.

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Our upkeep culture needs a lift

 

Two boys were lost for hours – and were found in a lift after nine hours. Why did no one know? Or even bother about a stuck lift?

I WAS a rookie reporter when I was called to the now-condemned Pekeliling Flats in Kuala Lumpur – on the eve of Deepavali.

A man had been waiting for the lift. It was pitch dark as the lights were all out and the maintenance was very poor. He pressed the lift button and the door opened.

Assuming the lift was there, he stepped in. There was nothing but thin air. The man fell more than a dozen floors, and no one knew about it until a guard on the ground floor heard some moaning.

He checked. The man had survived the fall but he broke both his legs and many bones. If he had died, they may not have found him for days!

Immediately after the tragic accident, there was an outcry over how flats in our country needed proper upkeep and maintenance. And the leaders stepped in, promising changes. City Hall also promised improvements.

But then, there is this Malay saying: “Hangat-hangat tahi ayam.” Things soon cooled down and the matter was forgotten.

The Pekeliling Flats are gone now, and the area is about to be developed into a prime commercial centre. But one thing has not changed – our maintenance culture, or the lack of it.

On Monday, two boys aged 10 and 11 went missing. One of the boys, according to his aunt, had left his home at the Desa Petaling Flats at about 2pm to buy buns and meet his friend living at the nearby Pangsaria Apartments.

When they had not returned home at 10pm – eight hours later – the families got worried. Frantically, they put out alerts on social media. They also lodged police reports and a search was mounted. They searched, and so did the cops.

It was at 1am, some three hours later, that a security guard checked the CCTV and realised the boys had actually been trapped in a lift. They had been there for about nine hours and no one had known about it.

The boys said they had tried to call out, but no one replied or came to their rescue. It’s a good thing the boys were just exhausted, hungry and sleepy when they were finally rescued, with nothing more serious happening to them.

But what if something serious had happened? Who would take the blame?

What boggles the mind is: Why did no one know that the lift had been stuck for nine hours?

Did no one else need to use it for the full nine hours? Or have the residents got so used to the lift breaking down? This happens often in many flats, where “out of order” notices are hung outside lift doors.

After more than 40 years since that Pekeliling Flats incident, our maintenance culture still sucks.

In June this year, a video of a man carrying his wheelchairusing grandmother up the stairs at the flats where they live went viral. All four lifts in the flats in Setapak were out of order.

The man said he had complained to the apartment management and technician, but nothing was done. That is how bad things are.

Of course, in many cases, the residents themselves are to be blamed. They just do not care about the upkeep of the facilities they use.

The two boys, for instance, were no angels. But they exposed both problems – vandalism and apathy.

First, the two – for some unknown reason – stuck a slipper in the lift door, causing it to go into auto-lock mode. And then, while they cried for help, no one cared about a lift that was stuck for nine hours.

Like the boys, many residents in flats around the country find joy in vandalism, damaging the buttons, doors and electrical equipment.

There are 159 People’s Housing Programme (PPR) projects with 99,000 housing units nationwide. If each unit housed between four and five people, we are talking about close to 400,000 people who are using lifts every day.

In Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, there are said to be about 150,000 PPR residents. There are already many other social problems in these flats, including a lack of cleanliness, gangsterism and drug use.

They don’t need broken down lifts as well.

Residents in Kepong, for one, have long been complaining about faulty lifts at their PPR flats. They even resorted to writing to the King.

“We commonly hear about PPR lifts breaking down all around the country and in many cases, it is the lack of spare parts that causes downtime,” said an annoyed Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng.

“Why has the availability of spare parts to repair lifts not been made a priority?” he asked. Why indeed?

All local councils need to have spare parts parked somewhere central, along with technicians who can reach the flats quickly when called.

Then, there is cronyism in the choice of contractors, which leads to incompetent people getting the maintenance jobs.

In the case of the flats in Kepong, a contractor had failed to replace six of the lifts, say residents. Yet, the same contractor was re-appointed to replace 32 lifts across 12 blocks of flats there. Who made that call?

The Malaysian Elevators and Escalators Association (yes, there is such an organisation) agrees that the poor choice of contractors by management committees was the main reason for the problem. “They just want to save costs and do the minimum maintenance,” it says.

And why do they do that? Because there are residents who do not pay management fees, forcing the committees to cut corners. It is a vicious circle.

It is important that everyone plays their part. The government has set aside Rm100mil for flats maintenance, but that is simply too little. Preventive maintenance must come from the residents themselves.

DORAIRAJ NADASON newsdesk @thestar.com.my

 

 

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Xi lauds Chinese Olympians for winning glory for country

 

 

A commendation ceremony today for all the 🇨🇳Chinese athletes who competed in Paris Olympics!

Pan Zhanle🏊‍♂️, Zheng Qinwen🎾, Quan Hongchan🥇, Ma Long🏓, Zhang Yufei🏊‍♀️, Li Wenwen🏋️‍♀️ ... they all shook hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping!

So proud of all these ambitious &… pic.twitter.com/e9ns0NDqGg

— Li Jingjing 李菁菁 (@Jingjing_Li) August 20, 2024

President Xi Jinping meets with China's Olympic delegation for Paris 2024 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on August 20, 2024. Team China clinched 40 gold, 27 silver and 24 bronze medals in Paris. Photo: Xinhua

 

President Xi Jinping on Tuesday hailed Chinese Olympians for their performance and sportsmanship at the Paris Olympic Games, saying they have won glory for the country and the people.

Meeting China's Olympic delegation for Paris 2024 at the Great Hall of the People, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged the Olympians to make further efforts to build China into a sports powerhouse. 

China's delegation has been committed to winning gold medals for morality, conduct and integrity, and has demonstrated sportsmanship and earned broad respect and recognition, Xi said.

Team China clinched 40 gold, 27 silver and 24 bronze medals in Paris, marking their best performance at an overseas Summer Olympics. 

National strength

Xi noted that the Chinese delegation's excellent performance has fully demonstrated the country's strength in the new era. The fundamental reason why China has joined the ranks of the world's leading sports nations and become a major Olympic player is the country's growing national strength, Xi said.

The competition between major powers on sports is not just about the competition between athletes, but also about the competition of national strength in science and technology, public health and infrastructure, as well as the business environment,said Li Xiang, a sports journalist and media commentator who covered Paris 2024. 

This allows everyone to not only enjoy playing and watching sports, but also allows the country's economy to benefit and profit constantly due to the sports industry, Li noted.

In his remarks on Tuesday, Xi highlighted two Chinese athletes' expressions after winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle, who broke men's 100-m freestyle world record in Paris Olympic Games, said after his win that "I dedicate this gold medal to our great motherland."

Tennis player Zheng Qinwen, who became the first Asian-born player to win a gold medal in a tennis singles event at the Olympics, said that "National honor always tops individual achievements."

The Chinese delegation's excellent performance in Paris has carried forward the spirit of Chinese sports, as well as the Olympic spirit, Xi said.

He praised the athletes for showing the world the profound heritage of traditional Chinese culture, displaying an open, inclusive, vibrant and enterprising image of modern China, and demonstrating the ambition, courage and determination of the Chinese people.

Luo Le, a sports scholar with the Beijing University of Chemical Technology, told the Global Times that "the victories of young athletes have set a significant example, encouraging more young people to pay attention to sports, engage in sports, or participate in physical activities, making sports a lifestyle choice." 

"Participating in sports not only improves physical health but also helps achieve the goal of becoming a sports powerhouse," Luo said. 

Table tennis player Ma Long, the Chinese athlete having won six Olympic gold medals, told media on Tuesday that singing the national anthem with the fans on-site at the Paris Olympics was an incredibly proud and unforgettable moment.

"Having the support of our great motherland and hundreds of millions of people behind us definitely helps us perform better," Ma said. "Sport not only strengthens the body but also teaches us how to rise again when faced with challenges and setbacks." 

Zheng, who is going to continue her professional tennis career, said that China's progress is witnessed by the equally viewing the world by the younger generation. 

"Only by viewing the world as equals can you fully unleash your true and complete potential," Zheng said. 

Eye on 2028

Xi said at the event that preparations for the next Olympics have started, it is hoped the country's Olympians remain humble while improving their performance in training and competitions.

They should continue to excel in competitive sports, and help promote national fitness and the development of youth sports, he added.

 As Team China is going to prepare for the Los Angeles Olympic Games 2028, Shen Yi, a professor on international relations at Fudan University, said that their high-quality participation could be seen as support for the host country the US, but the support is not unconditional.

It is hoped that the US can ensure the Games will be fair, and all participants, including Chinese athletes, will be treated without bias and prejudice. "We need to speak out loudly and openly" to let them know our concern, Shen told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Many people around the globe share this kind of concern caused by some behaviors by certain US agencies and media outlets during the Paris 2024 that targeted Chinese athletes on the doping issue, while Team US is being questioned seriously by media and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on the same issue with solid evidence, experts said. 

We see great achievements and also challenges from Team China's experience in Paris this year, so in the next four years, Team China as well as other sectors of our country will improve their strength and capabilities comprehensively to break more world records as well as Western dominance in some sports by clean and convincing performances, Chinese expert said.

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IS YOUR BODY AS OLD AS YOU? Chronological Age Vs Biological Age: Why Knowing The Difference Matters

 

Differentiating Between Chronological Age Vs Biological Age

OUR BIOLOGICAL AGE MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY BE THE SAME AS OUR CHRONOGICAL ADE -  DRSHIRLEY KOEH: 

Emagene Life & TruDiagnostic in Malaysia's first biological ...

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Differentiating Between Chronological Age Vs Biological Age

If you experience fear of growing old, you are not alone. A 2014 survey shows that nearly 90% of Americans are afraid of the implications of aging, from an increased risk of disease to declining physical ability. However, this fear often stems from two assumptions: that getting old is synonymous with disease and that you have no power over the aging process. These aren’t necessarily the truth.

There’s a lot that needs to be understood about the complex process that is aging. However, since the introduction of concepts such as biological aging and aging biomarkers in 1988, science has made significant advances. 

Today, we know that your true age is defined by more than the date on the calendar or the number of candles on your birthday cake. Instead, your biological age is a more accurate indicator of how old your body is, as well as of what disease risk profile you are facing at any point in life.

Unlike chronological age, biological age can be influenced and reduced with the right interventions. And, with RELATYV, you can also access a comprehensive tool to track your biological age and intervention progress in real-time. Let’s cover all you need to know below.

Understanding Chronological Age And Biological Age

American developmental biologist Scott F. Gilbert defined aging as “the time-related deterioration of the physiological functions necessary for survival and fertility.” More broadly, the term aging can be used to describe the biological processes associated with the passing of time, which lead to physical and cognitive decline. These changes, which are often permanent, affect any aspect of our body and mind, from cells and organs to the body’s own systems. 

Most theories link the beginning of the aging process with cellular senescence – or, in simpler terms, cellular retirement. This occurs when the cells in our body cease to divide, often in response to different triggers, including DNA damage and dysfunction of the telomeres (the protective caps at the ends of our chromosomes). 

In certain scenarios, this process is critical because it prevents damaged or stressed cells from propagating, aiding in tumor suppression and wound healing.

 

However, when cells stop dividing, they also stop acting as young, healthy cells – which can lead to a decline in the reserves of progenitor and stem cells, which are essential to replace damaged cells and tissues and to keep the body working properly. 

Additionally, the accumulation of waste materials from older cells can begin to accumulate and kickstart diseases commonly associated with aging.

Several theories have attempted to explain why cells, at some point in our lives, stop dividing. Some, like the Hayflick Limit, suggest a sort of biological countdown. Others link the accumulation of cell byproducts (known as free radicals) or damage to the energy-producing center of the cell (mitochondria) to aging. 

More recently, studies have begun to uncover the connection between aging and telomere shortening. Telomeres shorten at each cell division cycle. When they become too short, they can leave the chromosomes unprotected and cause genome instability, eventually leading to cellular retirement. 

We’ll look at the relationship between telomere length and aging in more detail below. 

Chronological age and biological age are two different measures that can be used to determine how your body is aging. Unlike chronological age – which simply tells you how much time has passed since your birth – biological age is a more accurate indicator of how old your body is, how long you can expect to live, and what your disease risk profile is. Recent research findings link biological aging with cellular retirement.

What Is Chronological Age?

Chronological age represents the exact amount of time a person or organism has existed, typically measured in units such as years, months, or days since birth. It’s a fixed, easily quantifiable measure, independent of health status, lifestyle choices, or genetic factors. In other words, you can always know how old you are based on your chronological age. 

Nonetheless, while this is a useful marker of time, it doesn’t necessarily reflect biological age, which may be influenced by a multitude of factors including genetics, environmental exposure, and lifestyle habits. Unlike biological age, chronological age cannot be modified.

What Is Biological Age?

Biological age refers to how well your body functions compared to your chronological age. It is a dynamic measure of one’s health and vitality. It determines how well your body’s cells and systems are functioning and how fit you are compared to the standard for your chronological age range. 

For instance, a person may be chronologically 50 years old but due to a healthy diet, regular exercise, and optimal stress management, their biological age may be measured as 40. This figure indicates that they have a health and risk disease profile akin to an average 40-year-old, showing that, biologically, they are aging at a slower rate. 

Similarly, two people with the same number of birthdays can have different biological ages, depending on how they are aging internally, due to genes and lifestyle choices. 

By telling you how old your body truly is compared to your chronological age, biological age also more accurately predicts your disease risk profile, lifespan, and expected healthspan (the number of years lived without chronic illness or disability). 

Unlike chronological age, biological age can be modified by addressing the factors that influence this measure. These factors include:

• How well you manage stress
• How physically active you are
• Your diet 
• Exposure to toxins or pollutants
• Genetics
• Habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol 
• Sleeping habits 
• Environmental factors, such as where you live or work
• Systemic inflammation, or low-grade, chronic inflammation that, over time, affects how your body functions. (Systemic inflammation is also considered to be the root cause of various chronic diseases, from diabetes to respiratory illnesses, metabolic dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease).

Having a “give up” mentality can also make you age faster. If you feel you’ll never be able to overcome medical conditions or improve your health, you are more likely to give up trying, which can lead to poor lifestyle choices that make you age faster. 

Over time, these factors can influence the rate of cellular retirement and telomere shortening, which accelerate the biological aging process.

Understanding The Difference Between Chronological Age And Biological Age

Your chronological age simply states how many days, months, or years you’ve lived – it does not provide any information regarding how well your body’s system functions, how old you are internally, or how likely you are to develop dementia or diabetes. It is truly just a number. 

On the other hand, you can think of biological age as depicting a comprehensive picture of your aging rate and body function, based on physiological evidence. According to studies, biological age can be used as a predictor of the onset of diseases associated with aging, including dementia, as well as other aging-related diseases.

How They Are Measured

Chronological age is very easy to calculate by looking at the passing of years and days – counting your biological age, on the other hand, can be more challenging and require specialized tests. 

Medical diagnostics today look at a wide range of indicators that describe several aspects of how your body is aging and may predict your disease risk. These “indicators” are known as biomarkers of aging, a concept initially introduced by Sprott et al in 1988. 

Over the past years, science has progressed in leaps and bounds and, today, doctors are able to use a wide range of more accurate predictors compared to the ones used in the 1980s. Thanks to advanced technologies, these indicators are also more accurately measured, offering precise estimations of a person’s biological age. 

Two of the main biological markers used today to determine internal age-related changes are telomere length and DNA methylation.

• Telomere length

In simple terms, telomeres are cap-like structures at the end of our chromosomes that protect them against deterioration. They are composed of repetitive sequences of non-coding DNA that protect these chromosomes – just like the plastic tips on shoelaces protect from fraying. 

With each cell division, these telomeres get shorter. Once they become too short, the cell is unable to divide and becomes senescent (goes into cell retirement) or dies. Scientists have seen that telomeres get shorter as we age (i.e. as our chronological age increases). 

However, the rate at which they shorten is also determined by a wide range of factors, including lifestyle, environment, exposure to pollutants, stress, and inflammation. Because of this, telomeres are often considered to be our “biological clock.”

Over the past years, the global scientific community significantly focused on the implications of shortening telomeres. Some key research findings include:

• A 2019 study shows that short telomeres are linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. 
• A 2021 systematic review shows that shortening telomeres are associated with increased disease duration, lower brain volumes (as per MRI scans), and a higher degree of disability among patients with multiple sclerosis. 
• A 2015 review shows that shorter telomeres significantly increase the risk of several psychiatric disorders. 
• A 2021 study shows that not only are shorter telomeres linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but in patients with coronary heart disease, they can also predict a higher risk of complications. 

The results of earlier studies are consistent in linking shorter telomeres with chronic illness, neurodegenerative disorders, shorter longevity, and earlier death. 

• DNA methylation

To understand what DNA methylation is, it is important to consider DNA as something dynamic and able to change. In particular, not all genes in the DNA are “expressed” at any given time. Some of your genes may be switched “off,” while others are “on” (or are expressed) due to internal or external factors. 

For example, a certain gene that regulates inflammation in your body may have been functioning, or on, since your early days. Encountering chronic stress or adverse lifestyle changes later on in life can prompt the gene to shut down or turn off.

As a consequence, you may start to experience increased inflammation, which can make you suddenly more prone to frequent illness or even chronic diseases such as heart disease or diabetes. 

The process used by the DNA to turn genes on or off is known as methylation. This biological process involves the addition of a methyl group (CH3) to the DNA molecule. This modification doesn’t change the DNA sequence itself, but it may switch genes on or off, in a process known as gene regulation. 

Methylation patterns can change over time, and they are often influenced by age, lifestyle, environment, and disease state. It is estimated that the human genome contains 28 million methylation sites in the DNA, several of which change with age – making the DNA methylation rate an accurate predictor of biological age.

As we age, variations in DNA methylation become more frequent: the rate at which genes are regulated can increase in some areas of the body (e.g.: soft breast tissue, which has been seen to be as much as three years older compared to the rest of the body) while others decrease.

Connection to Health

Chronological age is commonly used as a risk factor to determine the level of risk for a range of diseases. For example, it’s widely accepted that adults aged 65 and older have a higher risk of diseases like cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, osteoarthritis, stroke, and cancer. 

It is easy to see why chronological age is used in determining disease risk instead of biological age: this figure is easily accessible to both patients and healthcare providers. For instance, when a patient turns 65, their doctor will encourage them to stick to routine screening tests and take preventative measures. 

However, there’s a caveat. 

Let’s look at a patient who is chronologically 55, but has a biological age of 65. Their risk of disease is much higher than their chronological age would suggest. 

As a result, they may not undergo screening tests or adopt lifestyle interventions that could modify their disease risk and protect them from complications. Left undetected, a higher biological age can make patients more prone to disease and disability as they age, which can kick-start a negative loop of chronic illness and add to the healthcare burden. 

Over time, this can lead to a snowball effect: not implementing the right lifestyle interventions can increase the rate at which you are aging, which can exponentially increase your disease risk, ultimately affecting your longevity and lifespan. 

It’s easier to think of biological age this way: your body doesn’t know how many birthdays you’ve celebrated, it only knows how well or badly your systems, organs, and tissues are aging internally. Consequently, it can act as the body of a younger or older person. 

If you are biologically 10 years younger than your chronological age, your body is likely to match the health and disease risk profile of your biological age, not your chronological age. This can impact how long you’ll live and, more importantly, how many years you can live without disability or chronic illness.

Does Chronological Aging Intersect With Biological Aging?

Chronological age does not directly impact biological processes – rather, it gives us an indication of how old we are at any given point in life and what to expect from our health. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most breast cancer cases are diagnosed after the age of 50. 

So, if you are approaching this milestone, you may wish to undergo screening tests for early detection. 

Nonetheless, as we have seen above, your chronological age does not paint the full picture. For example, due to poor lifestyle choices and environmental factors, you may be aged 40, but have the same breast cancer risk level as a 50-year-old. 

Chronological age intersects with biological age because, ultimately, as time passes, the state of our tissues, organs, and systems begins to decline. But the rate at which this happens is better outlined by biological age, which describes the rate of cellular retirement. 

In turn, by halting cell division, cellular retirement determines how well the body’s tissue, organs, and systems function, and at what rate their function declines. Functional decline can affect the internal part of your body – such as organs and tissues – but it can also manifest with visible signs, such as reduced energy and mobility, skin changes, and memory problems.

Do We Define Ourselves by Chronological or Biological Age?

Above, we’ve looked at the fact that chronological age is just a number, which doesn’t necessarily describe how well the body is doing internally. So, why do we let it define us? 

There are several reasons for this:

• Mindset

Our mindset plays a vital role in helping us control the rate at which we age. When we have a positive mindset, we are able to find purpose in life and stick to healthy lifestyle choices. For example, if you feel more energized and determined to stay healthy, you will find it easier to exercise regularly, eat healthy meals, and socialize. 

On the other hand, if you are plagued by chronic illnesses and declining mental health, you are more likely to experience depression, social isolation, a sedentary life, and diseases like diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disorders – which further aggravate the picture. 

Our mindset can also be influenced by our assumptions. Some people get ill just after celebrating their 60th birthday, simply because they now believe they are “old.” 

Similarly, if you are in your 60s or 70s, experience declining health, and see yourself as old, you are more likely to think “I’m getting old, my health can only get worse – so, why try?” Think of this as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

These are boundaries that we set in place and dare not cross. But they are just that: self-limitations. Research confirms that even simply thinking that you are young and can improve your health can have a profound impact on your life. 

In a 1979 study by Ellen Langer – known as the “Counterclockwise” experiment – a group of older adults was asked to spend five days in a retreat and live as if they were 20 years younger. 

The results? Better hearing, memory, grip strength, vision, joint flexibility, manual dexterity, IQ, gait, and posture. The participants also experienced lower arthritis pain levels and appeared significantly younger after the retreat.

• Ageism and societal views

Besides our own mindset, external factors such as societal views and stereotypes associated with aging can also cause us to define ourselves by our age. Ageism can negatively impact a person’s quality of life, self-esteem, and health outcomes. 

In practice, when people are perceived as old, they begin to act as old. They may begin to rely more and more on caretakers and cultivate feelings of hopelessness. This can cause them to take actions such as going into retirement or interrupting hobbies, which, in turn, inhibits their productivity, contribution to society, life purpose, social life, and mental and physical health. 

Not only does this place excessive strain on a person’s well-being, but it can also contribute to the burden placed on their families, healthcare system, and pension scheme.

Why Is Knowing Your Biological Age Important?

Knowing what your biological age is compared to your chronological age can help you plan interventions and lifestyle modifications to ultimately improve your disease risk profile, increase longevity and healthspan, and boost overall wellness. 

Knowing that you can modify your biological age is also important to rebuild your mindset and prevent your chronological age from defining you.

Early Detection Of Health Risks

Understanding your biological age provides invaluable health insights – it can work as a barometer that indicates your susceptibility to diseases before symptoms appear. 

Knowing your level of risk can help you seek early intervention and medical advice, reducing the severity or even preventing conditions commonly related to age, from dementia to diabetes. By tackling your risk of disease early on, you can extend your healthspan and longevity.

Targeted Anti-Aging Strategies

Consider your biological age as a starting point to seek effective anti-aging interventions that will, in time, help you control your biological age and rate of aging. The goals of these strategies are to:

• Increase telomere length or reduce the rate at which they are shortening
• Support DNA methylation
• Support the healing and regeneration of damaged cells and tissues
• Boost the body’s ability to heal naturally 
• Improve mental and physical health 

Quantifiable Progress Tracking

Tracking your biological age offers objective measurements of health progress – more so than just tracking your chronological age. This data can help you better understand how different lifestyle modifications, medications, interventions, or therapies impact your health. 

Therefore, it helps to make informed decisions and adjustments, leading to better, more sustainable health outcomes.

Can Aging be Reversed?

Above, you’ve learned that biological age can be modified. With the right interventions, you can not only slow down the rate of aging but also reverse it. 

Although these interventions should be planned by a specialist around your unique goals and needs, some key anti-aging strategies include:

• Exercise. Not only does exercise help improve physical strength, flexibility, pulmonary capacity, and cardiovascular health, but it has also been seen to help preserve telomere length as we age. 
• Nutrition. Eating a Mediterranean diet has been seen to be the optimal choice to support telomere length and reduce mortality from age-related diseases. This is because it is rich in legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables, mostly unrefined grains, and a high intake of unsaturated lipids (e.g.: olive oil). Oppositely, alcohol, red meat, or processed meat have been associated with telomere shortening. 
• Sleep. A 2023 review of 22 studies shows a clear link between good sleep quality and duration and optimal telomere length. 
• Stress management. A review published in 2022 shows that chronic psychological stress is a major contributor to aging. Stress is also linked to a range of age-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune diseases, and depression.
• Environmental adjustments. Environmental contributors can impact aging in multiple ways. A stressful environment can lead to chronic stress and impact sleep and nutrition. Furthermore, in vitro clinical trials have shown that significant alterations take place in the length of the telomeres after exposure to pollutants and toxins. 
• Anti-aging treatments. Anti-aging treatments span from caloric restriction to nutraceuticals and hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Certain stem cell and platelet-rich plasma therapies may also help replenish the reserves of stem cells and growth factors in aging adults, to support the ability of the body to heal naturally. These interventions can help re-establish balance in bodily systems affected by aging.
• Supplements. Supplements such as those combined in the RELATYV formula – including NAD+, curcumin, resveratrol, glutathione, and NAC – can offer important anti-aging properties. 

For example, NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) plays a critical role in energy metabolism and the reduction of oxidative stress. Polyphenol like resveratrol can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, while collagen provides support, elasticity, and strength to tissues and organs. 

Ultimately, getting to know and monitoring your biological age can help you make better-informed decisions about your health and allow you to extend the number of years lived – and the ones lived without disability and disease! 

What RELATYV does is put you back in control. Starting with an accurate biological age test, you’ll be able to better understand how your body is aging. Your RELATYV age is a measure obtained by comparing your biological age to your chronological age. This figure combines the best of both worlds: just like chronological age, it is very easy to quantify – but it is also as accurate and modifiable as your biological age. 

The RELATYV platform can calculate your RELATYV age using an advanced algorithm, which elaborates critical health data – from your medical records to performance indicators. Equipped with this knowledge, you’ll be able to start planning and introducing anti-aging interventions guided by a team of specialists. 

As you implement custom interventions and recommendations for longevity and wellness, you can monitor changes in your biological age, thus reducing your disease profile risk and increasing your healthspan.

Slow Down The Ticking Clock With Us

Too often, we let our chronological age define us, our achievements, our health, and our productivity. But the adage “age is just a number” could not be more true when we are talking about chronological age. 

Instead of surrendering to an aging mind and body, you can now take control of your health – starting by understanding what your biological age is. Monitoring this figure and taking steps to reduce your biological age can help you feel younger and act younger, while also reducing the risk of disability and boosting your longevity.

Ready to defy time and age gracefully?

Start by assessing your RELATYV age today!

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About the AuthorAbout the Author

Will is a healthcare executive, innovator, entrepreneur, inventor, and writer with a wide range of experience in the medical field. Will has multiple degrees in a wide range of subjects that give depth to his capability as an entrepreneur and capacity to operate as an innovative healthcare executive.

Will is a healthcare executive, innovator, entrepreneur, inventor, and writer with a wide range of experience in the medical field. Will has multiple degrees in a wide range of subjects that give depth to his capability as an entrepreneur and capacity to operate as an innovative healthcare executive.

BY WILLIAM BOZEMAN

Age: Why Knowing The Difference Matters