Clinical Clocks for Biological Age – Fight Aging!

Biological age (BA) is a crucial factor in determining an individual’s risk of morbidity and mortality, often differing from chronological age (CA). The construction of biological aging clocks, which infer BA from observable physical features, has a long history. These clocks are based on various biological data, including clinical parameters and DNA methylation. Second-generation BA clocks aim to predict future mortality directly from biological parameters, providing insights into an individual’s risk of age-related dysfunction, morbidity, and mortality. These clocks can offer normative targets for clinical intervention and guidance to promote healthy aging. Large-scale cohort data are essential for the development of second-generation clinical clocks (CCs), which predict future mortality and morbidity directly from clinical features and biomarkers. CCs have advantages in settings where relevant clinical features are readily accessible, providing clinicians with valuable information for interpreting and acting upon the findings. The development and validation of more powerful CCs should be a priority to improve clinical interpretation and application.