The proteins in our bodies are covered in sugar molecules that act as signals and switches for the function of that protein. Your body makes critical proteins for your immune system called immunoglobulins (IgG) that are covered in these sugar molecules in a specific pattern called glycosylation. The pattern dictates everything from a healthy immune activation to a malfunctioning autoimmune response and inflammation.
These glycosylation patterns on the IgG protein have been studied in over 60,000 individuals of a wide age range revealing characteristic changes strongly associated with age, disease states, and unhealthy lifestyles. This has enabled researchers to calculate your biological age with the GlycanAge Index by extrapolating from three relative glycan patterns found in your blood sample: GlycanMature, GlycanYouth, and GlycanHealth. The results from this simply acquired blood test can tell us where you are in the aging process and what interventions, such as hormone optimization, or lifestyle changes are having an impact on your health and aging trajectory.
Using the simplified GlycanAge model, predicted age from measured immunoglobulin G glycans was calculated for 2,035 individuals and plotted against real chronological age of the same individual which showed a high degree of correlation.
