Epigenetic aging

Intrinsic epigenetic age acceleration refers to a phenomenon in which biological age, as determined through epigenetic markers such as DNA methylation, advances at a faster rate compared to a person`s chronological age.s of epigenetic markers such as DNA methylation, advances at a faster rate compared to a person`s chronological age.

Epigenetics is a branch of genetics that focuses on studying how environmental factors and behaviors can cause changes in gene activity without altering the DNA sequence. Epigenetic changes can affect how genes are turned on or off, which in turn can influence biological processes such as aging, cell turnover and overall health.

Chronological age is determined by the time that has elapsed since birth, whereas, biological age refers to how a person`s cells, tissues and organs age biologically, which can vary due to genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors. Epigenetics makes it possible to understand and measure this difference between chronological and biological age.

People with an epigenetic age higher than their chronological age experience an intrinsic acceleration of their epigenetic age, which has been linked to an increased risk of mortality and various age-related health problems such as neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular disorders or certain types of cancer.

The epigenetic clock, developed by Steve Horvath, is a tool for measuring the biological age of human tissues. This advanced approach is based on the study of DNA methylation, an epigenetic process in which methyl groups attach to the cytosines of the nucleotide sequence.