A biological age test may give a result that looks very precise.
A 50-year-old person, for example, might receive an estimated biological age of 46 or 54.
But what does that number actually mean?
A biological age result is an estimate, not a clinical diagnosis.
Unlike chronological age, biological age cannot simply be read from a calendar. It is calculated from selected biological or clinical measurements using a particular method.
Some methods combine routine clinical information such as blood test results, blood pressure or measures of organ function. Other biological age tests may use molecular information.
The measurements are then analyzed together to produce an estimate related to biological aging.
This means that a biological age of 46 does not mean that every organ and tissue in a 50-year-old person's body is literally 46 years old. It also does not mean that the person is free from disease.
Similarly, a biological age higher than chronological age does not, by itself, diagnose diabetes, cardiovascular disease or another medical condition.
Clinical diagnoses and biological age answer different questions.
A clinical diagnosis identifies a particular disease or medical condition using appropriate clinical assessment and diagnostic criteria.
A biological age estimate combines selected information about the body to provide a measure of biological aging.
The result can therefore provide additional information about a person's biological profile, but it needs to be understood in the context of what was measured and how the estimate was calculated.
