Research

Mixed

Higher epigenetic age (Hannum age) is independently associated with increased all-cause mortality risk in older adults, whereas longer telomere length is associated with decreased mortality risk.

For older adults, biological age (measured by DNA methylation) and telomere length are independent predictors of mortality. While you cannot directly 'dose' these markers, maintaining health through lifestyle factors may influence these biological processes. Regular health check-ups are crucial, as these biomarkers offer a more nuanced view of aging risk than chronological age alone.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
a one standard deviation increase in baseline epigenetic age was linked to a 25% increased mortality risk (P = 1.4 (cid:2) 10(cid:3)4) whereas... a one standard deviation increase in baseline telomere length was independently linked to an 11% decreased mortality risk (P = 0.047).
Riccardo E. Marioni et al. · International Journal of Epidemiology · 2016

Why this rating

Longitudinal data from two large birth cohorts (LBC1921 and LBC1936) with rigorous statistical modeling (Cox proportional hazards), though limited by sample size in the older cohort.

Source

The epigenetic clock and telomere length are independently associated with chronological age and mortality

Riccardo E. Marioni et al. · International Journal of Epidemiology · 2016

DOI 10.1093/ije/dyw041

cohort · n=1334Cited 302×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →