We all know our chronological age—how many candles we’ve blown out—but that number doesn’t always match how fast (or slow) our body is really aging. Scientists now measure a different type of age—your epigenetic age—that reflects your biology, lifestyle, and health more than your birth certificate ever could.
At Tally Health, we’ve built a next-generation epigenetic clock that analyzes your DNA to calculate your true epigenetic age. With our at-home TallyAge Test, you can discover how your cells are aging, how your lifestyle is shaping that process, and what you can do to improve it.
Here are answers to the most common questions people ask about epigenetic age and the science behind the TallyAge Test.
What is Epigenetic Age?
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Think of epigenetic age as one of your body’s internal clocks. Unlike your DNA sequence, which stays the same throughout life, epigenetic changes—like DNA methylation patterns—shift in predictable ways as you age.
These changes act like “sticky notes” on your genome, influencing gene expression without rewriting the genetic code itself. By studying these markers, scientists can estimate how biologically “old” your cells are compared to your calendar age.
How do you measure epigenetic age?
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Measuring epigenetic age involves analyzing DNA methylation from a cheek swab sample or other human tissues. Researchers look at specific sites in the DNA where methyl groups attach, then run complex analyses to transform the patterns into an age score.
The TallyAge Test makes this process easy and non-invasive. With just a cheek swab, our research team uses advanced DNA methylation analysis to calculate your epigenetic age and provide a personalized report.
What’s the Difference Between Genetics and Epigenetics?
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Your genetics are like the blueprint you’re born with. Every cell in your body contains the same DNA sequence, which doesn’t change much over your lifetime. These genetic instructions are fixed—like the chapters in a book.
Your epigenetics, on the other hand, are more like sticky notes, bookmarks, and highlights added on top of that book. They don’t change the words themselves, but they decide which chapters get read, skipped, or emphasized. This regulation comes from processes like DNA methylation, which can turn genes “on” or “off” depending on your environment, health behaviors, and even temporary life events.
That’s why two people with the same genetic sequence can age very differently. Epigenetics explains how lifestyle factors like diet, stress, and exercise influence gene expression and shape how they’re aging on a biological level—even though their DNA stays the same.
What does the TallyAge® Test Measure?
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The TallyAge Test analyzes over 200,000 DNA methylation sites across your genome. These are chemical tags, called methyl groups, that attach to DNA at regions called CpG sites. They don’t change your genetic code, but they do affect gene expression—turning genes “on” or “off.”
As we age, these DNA methylation patterns shift in predictable ways: some regions become more methylated (hypermethylated), while others lose methylation (hypomethylated). By mapping these changes, scientists can accurately predict your epigenetic age.
What is DNA Methylation analysis?
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DNA methylation patterns are the “fingerprints” of how your genome is being regulated. A methyl group is a tiny chemical tag that attaches to DNA at specific locations—most commonly at CpG sites (where a cytosine base is followed by a guanine base).
When many of these CpG sites are methylated, the nearby genes are often “turned off.” When they’re unmethylated, those genes are more likely to be active. Over time, the balance of hypermethylation and hypomethylation across the genome shifts, creating recognizable patterns that reflect cellular aging, environmental exposures, and lifestyle factors.
These methylation patterns are at the heart of epigenetic clocks. By looking at DNA methylation sites, researchers can detect whether your body is epigenetically aging faster (accelerated epigenetic aging) or slower (lower epigenetic age) than your chronological age would suggest.
How is my TallyAge Calculated?
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After you send in your cheek swab, our lab extracts your DNA and runs high-throughput DNA methylation analysis. Using an advanced algorithm built on one of the largest cheek swab datasets ever assembled—over 8,000 individuals aged 18–100 years from diverse backgrounds—we estimate your epigenetic age with high accuracy.
The training dataset used to create this machine learning model included lifestyle and health information, which helped train our next-generation epigenetic clock. That means your TallyAge score reflects not just biology, but also how real-world habits influence the aging process.
How should I interpret my TallyAge result?
Think of TallyAge as one window into your health. Just like metrics such as VO₂ max, grip strength, or the frailty index, it’s a validated biomarker of aging that has been shown to be associated with mortality risk in older adults tracked over time.
Because aging is so complex—and each tissue type ages differently—it’s best to focus on lowering your score over time rather than fixating on one result. Your longevity journey is about the trend, not a single number. As your lifestyle and habits change, using the TallyAge Test as a tool to benchmark and track your progress over time helps add epigenetic markers and milestones to your longevity journey.
How do my results stack up?
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When you receive your TallyAge, you’ll also see a percentile score. This tells you how your results compare to others in our large, diverse internal database.
But keep in mind: your TallyAge is about you. While percentile comparisons are fun and motivating, the most valuable measure is whether your number trends downward over time as you build longevity-friendly habits.
Factors That Impact Your TallyAge
How does TallyAge Relate to Lifestyle and Health?
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Your epigenetic age can change in response to your lifestyle and environment. Temporary events like infections, major stress, or even moving to a new home may shift your TallyAge temporarily. Long-term trends, however, are where the insights shine.
Tally Health’s first paper in GeroScience found strong links between lifestyle/health factors and epigenetic age, including:
Body mass index (BMI)
Smoking status
Weekly alcohol intake
Perceived social satisfaction
Stress levels
Weekly exercise
Sleep quality
Plant-rich diet
These results highlight how closely lifestyle, health behaviors, and epigenetic age are tied together.
How does Immunity Impact TallyAge?
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Every cell in your body contains the same DNA, but epigenetic regulation determines which genes are active in different cell types. That’s why skin cells, brain cells, and immune cells behave so differently.
By analyzing DNA methylation patterns, we can estimate the proportion of immune cells in your cheek swab sample. Why does this matter? Because the proportion of immune cells in a cheek swab sample are associated with epigenetic age. For example, values closer to 100% may reflect an elevated immune state at the time of testing.
This added layer of context helps explain fluctuations in your TallyAge. See how much of your submitted sample contains immune cells in your next TallyAge Test result report.
How does TallyAge Relate to Diseases and Conditions?
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Our published research shows that accelerated epigenetic aging is associated with many health conditions, including:
Immune conditions (COVID-19, lupus, HIV, non-COVID respiratory infection)
Cancers (skin, prostate, brain, esophageal, colon)
Metabolic and pulmonary conditions (prediabetes, pulmonary fibrosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, BMI)
Other factors (childhood trauma, depression, environmental exposure)
Importantly, while the TallyAge Test doesn’t diagnose disease, it does capture powerful health signals that correlate with diseases and conditions.
What Can I Do to Help Lower my Epigenetic Age?
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The great news: the same habits that promote a long, healthy life also help reduce epigenetic age acceleration. Here are the most science-backed strategies:
1. Move Consistently
Engage in both cardio and strength training each week. Exercise reduces cellular senescence, promotes healthy cells, and helps regulate gene expression.
2. Eat Smart
Adopt a mostly unprocessed, plant-rich diet, such as the Mediterranean diet. Whole, nutrient-rich foods support healthy DNA methylation changes, reduce inflammation, and are linked to lower epigenetic age.
3. Prioritize Sleep
Most adults need at least 7 hours per night. Deep, high-quality sleep enhances DNA repair and positively influences various aging hallmarks.
4. Focus on Stress Reduction
Chronic stress fuels accelerated aging. Mindfulness, yoga, walking in nature, or unplugged downtime are proven ways to reduce stress-related epigenetic impacts.
5. Stay Socially Connected
Strong relationships and social satisfaction correlate with healthier epigenetic profiles. Joining clubs, volunteering, or simply investing in friendships can have measurable biological benefits.
6. Limit Alcohol and Avoid Smoking
Both smoking and high alcohol intake are strongly tied to higher epigenetic age. Moderation—or avoidance—makes a clear difference.
The Future of Epigenetic Clocks
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The first epigenetic clocks—like the initial Horvath clock published in 2013—were revolutionary but mostly tracked with chronological age. Today, next-generation clocks, like the algorithm developed by Tally Health, are more strongly associated with lifestyle, health, and/or age-related outcomes.
Findings suggest that, as the science advances, epigenetic testing will likely become a cornerstone of personalized health care. With ongoing epigenetic research and larger sample sizes, the field is only getting more precise.
Why Epigenetic Clocks Matter
A next-generation epigenetic aging clock is a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art tool for measuring cellular aging. It empowers you with knowledge about how your daily choices shape your long-term health.
With the TallyAge Test, you can track your epigenetic age over time and take real, science-backed steps toward living longer—and better.
References
Shokhirev et al. CheekAge: a next-generation buccal epigenetic aging clock associated with lifestyle and health. GeroScience 2024; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-024-01094-3
Johnson and Shokhirev. Contextualizing aging clocks and properly describing biological age. Aging Cell 2024; https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.14377
Shokhirev et l. CheekAge, a next-generation epigenetic buccal clock, is predictive of mortality in human blood. Frontiers in Aging 2024; https://doi.org/10.3389/fragi.2024.1460360
Shokhirev and Johnson. Various diseases and conditions are strongly associated with the next-generation epigenetic aging clock CheekAge. GeroScience 2025; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-025-01579-9
Johnson and Shokhirev. First-generation versus next-generation epigenetic aging clocks: Differences in performance and utility. Biogerontology 2025; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10522-025-10265-4
Johnson et al. Human age reversal: Fact or fiction? Aging Cell 20222; https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.13664
What is epigenetic age?
Epigenetic age is a measure of how old your cells are biologically, based on chemical changes to your DNA called DNA methylation. Unlike chronological age, which is just the number of years you’ve lived, epigenetic age reflects your lifestyle, health, and environment.
How is epigenetic age measured?
Scientists measure epigenetic age by analyzing DNA methylation patterns—tiny chemical tags on DNA that regulate which genes are turned on or off. Tests like the TallyAge® Test use a cheek swab to collect DNA, then apply advanced algorithms to calculate your true biological age.
Can you lower your epigenetic age?
Yes. Research shows that healthy habits—like exercising regularly, eating a plant-rich diet, sleeping at least 7 hours per night, managing stress, and avoiding smoking or excess alcohol—are linked to a lower epigenetic age and healthier aging over time.
