Our Algorithms

DNA methylation analysis has significantly expanded in the field of longevity since the publication of the Horvath pan-tissue clocks in 2013. However, it is important to note that not all testing and analysis is created equal.

There are some very important considerations to look at when vetting a company for Epigenetic Analysis.  

1. What type of algorithms are used?
2. What type of tissues are collected?
3. How much data is generated from my testing?
4. Can I access my raw data for independent analysis?
5. Will there be updates to my data as new insights are published?

We Deliver More than Just Biological Age

We also provide a full suite of aging related metrics. This includes telomere length measurements, intrinsic and extrinsic age calculations, immune cell subset deconvolution, and the current pace of aging. 

We also try and give you more than just data, with a full epidemiologic review of studies published on age-related methylation. With these studies included in your TruAge reports, we hope to give context to what may have influenced your various aging scores. These studies can also act as a jumping-off point for investigating possible lifestyle changes to improve your aging.  

Large Scale Data Generation

We measure 900,000 CpGg locations on the genome to provide one of the most robust testing services available. We base this analysis on the EPIC850k methylation array by illumina which is routinely used in the majority of methylation informed clinical trials.

Robust QA/QC Analysis

Our Lab and Bioinformatics teams adopt rigorous procedures to make sure our reports are accurate. We utilize consistent and ongoing quality improvement methods to improve everything from sample collection and benchtop protocol, to automation and data analysis.

Correct tissue type collection:

Every type of tissue has a different epigenetic signature. As a result, the type of tissue you test is very important, and can influence the data you get from analysing it. For instance, if we were to test the tissue from your cerebellum, we would get much younger ages than if we tested blood. We also would get much higher ages if we tested breast tissue.

Almost all of the published algorithms for longevity based epigenetic clocks used whole blood, when they trained the algorithms for biological aging. As a result we prioritize blood collection as the primary type of analysis to make sure your results are as accurate as possible.

Licensing and creating the most relevant aging algorithms:

We are proud to work with academia to license the best algorithms in the field of aging. Below, you will see the algorithms which we use and their importance for understanding a complete picture of your aging process.

Providing patient access to the raw data:

We also believe that you should completely own and have access to your own data. As a result, we are able to give you your methylation data in 2 ways. We provide a report which lists out the CpGs used in most published aging algorithms. We also provide access to your raw data file (.idat) upon request so that you can own and control your own data for future analysis.

Continual Updates:

We understand that new developments are being made every day in the field of epigenetics and aging. We constantly work to improve the insights available in our testing. You can expect regular updates that add to our reports at no additional charge (unless we have to license the algorithm).

Referrals to medical practitioners to help you interpret:

We also know that understanding how your epigenetic aging data and its impact to your life can often be difficult. As a result, we often refer our users to medical providers at no charge. We do this so that they can help you make sense of these metrics and what it means to you.