Researchers have demonstrated in a randomized controlled study that restricting calories can significantly slow the rate of aging among healthy individuals, measured from blood DNA methylation with DunedinPACE algorithm (Pace of Aging Computed from Epigenome).
DunedinPACE treatments demonstrated a 2 to 3% slowing of aging rates, which corresponds to 10-15 % mortality risk reduction; an effect similar to that seen when quitting smoking.
This study involved randomizing 220 healthy individuals into either a 25% caloric restriction diet for two years or an ordinary diet for similar results.
To gauge biological aging among trial participants, blood samples were taken at baseline and again after 12 and 24 months for follow up analysis.
People typically live long lives; thus it would not be practical to follow them until aging-related disease symptoms become evident. Biomarkers were used instead, measuring biological aging throughout the study duration.
Analysis was done on DNA methylation marks extracted from white blood cells. These marks serve as chemical tags on DNA sequences that regulate gene expression that tends to change with age.
Primarily, three measurements were utilized when analyzing DNA methylation data – commonly referred to as epigenetic clocks. GrimAge and PhenoAge clocks measure biological age; that is, they establish chronological ages in which an individual would appear “normal”.
These measurements can be considered “odometers”, providing a static measure of how much an individual has aged over time. DunedinPACE estimates the rate of biological degradation over time – effectively serving as a “speedometer”.
DunedinPACE results demonstrated that treatment did not influence other epigenetic clocks as strongly. This indicates that dynamic ‘pace of aging’ measures such as DunedinPACE could be more sensitive to treatment effects than static biological age measures.
Dietary restriction was shown to slow human aging rates; however, its results are noteworthy as proof that slowing human aging may indeed be possible.
