The age on our ID card doesn’t always match our body’s age. New biological and epigenetic clocks aim to go beyond a simple number to show us how we are aging and, potentially, help us intervene before diseases appear.
In this episode of the Dynaspan podcast, Alberto Arnedillo talks with Dr. Francisco Mera Cordero about biological clocks, biological age, epigenetics, biomarkers, exercise, sleep, supplementation, and the future of preventive medicine.
The conversation begins with a seemingly simple question: how old is our body, really?
Chronological age and biological age: they are not the same
We all know our chronological age: it’s the number of years that have passed since our birth.
But our bodies don’t necessarily age at the same rate as the calendar.
As Dr. Mera explains during the interview, a person can have a biological age that is higher or lower than their chronological age. This difference could provide relevant information about the functional and biological state of our bodies.
The importance of this distinction lies in the fact that, if we can measure certain aspects related to our aging, we can try to identify risks before a disease appears.
The idea is to move from a medicine that acts when a problem arises to a more preventive and predictive approach.
From Measuring Age to Measuring the Rate of Aging
One of the most interesting aspects of the interview is the evolution of so-called biological clocks.
As Dr. Mera explains, the first epigenetic clocks were primarily focused on estimating biological age. More recent models seek to provide more dynamic information: not only our biological age, but also the rate at which we are aging.
This introduces a fundamental difference.
An isolated measurement would be like a photograph:
Where am I today?
A measurement of the rate of aging attempts to answer another question:
Where am I evolving towards?
Furthermore, the interview discusses the possibility of analyzing different dimensions of aging and estimating functional or biological ages related to various organs, such as the heart, lungs, or brain.
This could allow us to identify that a person has, for example, a different risk profile depending on the system or organ analyzed.
What is the purpose of knowing our biological age?
The potential usefulness of these watches lies not only in being able to say:
“Your biological age is X years.”
The real interest lies in using this information to make decisions.
During the interview, it is suggested that certain markers could provide risk signals before conventional blood test parameters clearly indicate the onset of a disease.
The concept is important: a traditional blood test primarily provides information about our current state.
The new models also aim to provide information about trends.
And, in addition, there is another particularly interesting feature: if a marker can change as a result of an intervention, we can use it to check if that intervention is having any effect.
In other words:
measure → intervene → measure again → check the result.
This approach fits with increasingly personalized medicine.
Can we rejuvenate biologically?
One of the central questions of the conversation is whether aging is necessarily an irreversible process.
Dr. Mera’s answer is that certain processes associated with accelerated aging can be modified.
During the interview, factors such as oxidative stress, low-grade inflammation, and other biological processes that can be affected by lifestyle are mentioned. The goal would be to slow down certain processes and improve cellular function.
This doesn’t mean we can simply “turn back” in time.
The idea presented in the interview is more concrete: certain components of biological aging are potentially modifiable, and a significant part of healthy longevity could depend on how we act upon them.
Exercise: Not Too Little, Not Too Much
Exercise occupies a significant part of the conversation.
Dr. Mera emphasizes the role of physical activity and muscle strength in healthy aging. In particular, he differentiates between moderate physical activity and periods of higher intensity.
One of the ideas that emerges is to combine:
moderate aerobic exercise;
Strength training;
and certain higher-intensity stimuli.
Muscle takes on special importance because, as explained, it should not be understood solely as a tissue responsible for movement, but as an important metabolic organ.