You certainly know your birthday (though some of us would rather forget it). But do you know your “true age”? That is, if someone were to peer inside of you and look at the health and vitality of your inner workings- your genetics, brain, cardiovascular system, etc.- would the analysis of your age based on the assessment of your interior (your biological age) match your chronological age as determined by the date of your birth? That’s the challenge- and opportunity- that’s driven the work of Dr. Morgan Levine, an assistant professor of pathology and director of the Laboratory for Aging in Living Systems at Yale University. That’s also the title of the just-published book she’s written: True Age: Cutting Edge Research To Help Turn Back The Clock.

The gist of Dr. Levine’s work has been to help develop accurate models and tests to determine your biological age and then discover “biological hacks” that allow you to lower that age- and improve your health and well-being- no matter what your age is according to the calendar. So how do you determine your biological age, or the “age” at which your body is actually functioning? There have been efforts over the past decade to determine what biological markers can tell you your biological age. These efforts have led to the development of “aging clocks” that in theory give you your biological age, along with a prediction of how much time you may have left. Dr. Levine has been one of the lead researchers in this arena, and along with other colleagues, developed the DNAm PhenoAge clock, one of several diagnostic tests in this field. There is some controversy about the value of the predictions of such “clocks”. Most agree that if measurements suggest your biological age surpasses your chronological age, you may be aging faster than the average person, and that’s valuable information to spur on some important lifestyle changes- better diet, more exercise, no smoking, etc (you know the drill). There’s a newer test out right now from Elysium Health (cost of $299) where you can send your saliva and get back an analysis suggesting your biological age. But for no cost, there are also “biological age calculators” online (here’s an example) that use lab test results you may already have to help you determine your biological age. For another example of a biological age calculator, click here.

In promotion of this new book, Dr. Levine has given several recent interviews, discussing her research along with her own efforts to “hack” her biological age. Many of her “tricks” will sound familiar to agebuzz readers, as they coincide with many of the recommendations we regularly tout to support and maintain healthy aging. For example, in a recent interview in The Telegraph, Dr. Levine listed 4 ways you can “turn back the clock,” including a largely plant-based diet, a fast 3 times per year (not to be done without consultation with your physician), exercise doing high-intensity interval training, and good quality sleep. While she admits that most people’s biological age is within 5 years (plus or minus) of their chronological age, there are ways to modify your biological age once you measure it and make adjustments. She makes clear she’s not anti-aging: “I don’t want to stigmatize aging…Delaying biological aging is about preventing or slowing the accumulation of diseases, which do affect quality of life.” And this is not about immortality or living beyond human expectations (though she is about the join the Silicon Valley longevity company Altos Labs). Rather, like many other researchers in the aging field, her goal is to extend your health span as far into your lifespan as possible. To listen to her discuss her work in her own words, click here.