Meta-analysis of 51 studies finds lifestyle changes and metformin reduce epigenetic age while supplements show no effect
The study demonstrates measurable effects of lifestyle and select pharmacological interventions on epigenetic clocks but finds no consistent benefit from common supplements. Evidence quality is moderate due to mixed study designs and short follow-up. Larger RCTs with clinical outcomes are required before routine clinical use.
The work highlights the need for longer randomized trials that pair epigenetic readouts with hard clinical endpoints such as incident cardiovascular disease or mortality. Next steps include validating whether a 2-year epigenetic shift predicts actual healthspan gains in populations over age 65.
Sehgal lab: Within 24 months, at least one ongoing RCT of semaglutide will report a statistically significant 1.5-year reduction in GrimAge clock at 18-month follow-up.
Sources (2)
- [1]Primary Source(https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03215-7)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2203167)