Are you a Rapid Ager? Uncovering the Link Between Biological Age and Physical Health

They don't call it "the age of wisdom" for nothing: people believe that gaining years of experience provides a greater understanding of life and the world around us. But while this may be true, experts now understand that your biological age could be a much better and more precise indicator of physical health than how many years you’ve been alive.

So, just what is "biological age?" It essentially boils down to how well your body functions: how well your organs work, how well your muscles move, how high your energy levels are, and how well you're able to process nutrition. The idea that there can be a gap between your body's actual functioning capabilities and your chronological age has become increasingly important in the medical world.

Given its importance, there have been a number of methods used to measure your biological age. Technologies such as blood tests, DNA assessments, and machine learning age predictions from genetic information can be used to identify the impact of physical health on your body. While these methods provide insight into your biological age, it is hard to quantify the accuracy of them in relation to one's actual physical health.

In light of this ambiguity there is growing interest in finding new and easier ways to measure biological age, specifically methods that inform us of when someone may be aging rapidly. This is because rapid aging increases risk of diseases, chronic conditions, mortality, and disability.

Whilst there is a lack of definitive data, studies have suggested that lifestyle choices may influence the rate at which people age. Smoking, drinking, and an unhealthy diet can heavily contribute to a person's accelerated aging, as can a lower level of physical activity, unpredictable sleeping hours, and accidents/injuries. All of these behaviors may give clues to underlying physiological damage and increase the gap between physical age and chronological age.

Interestingly, recent research has also found that lifestyle changes like a healthier diet, increased exercise, and smoking cessation can help reduce rapid aging and physical detriments. These results may indicate the cumulative effects of months or even years of making healthy decision and suggest that reducing rapid aging could, indeed, be in our control.

So although it may be difficult to accurately assess one's biological age and measure their rate of aging, it is possible to take precautionary measures to ensure you age as gracefully as possible. Knowing about the possibility of rapid aging and what factors may contribute to it can be good motivation to make conscious decisions and lead a healthier lifestyle.