Epigenetic ageing

In recent years, epigenetic clocks based on DNA methylation have evolved from research tools to widely used biomarkers of biological ageing. They correlate not only with chronological age, but also – depending on the “clock generation” – with morbidity, functional outcomes and mortality risks. At the same time, the step into clinical routine is challenging: measurement accuracy, comparability between tests, population generalizability and clinical decision limits have so far only been partially standardized.