Mixed
Perceived age, derived from facial photographs, is a robust biomarker of biological aging that predicts survival in individuals aged 70 and older, independent of chronological age, sex, and physical/cognitive functioning.
For adults over 70, how you look relative to your peers may be a stronger predictor of how long you will live than your birth date. This does not mean you should obsess over wrinkles, but it suggests that factors influencing facial aging (sun exposure, smoking, stress, social engagement) are deeply linked to your overall biological health and mortality risk. Regular health check-ups that assess functional status (strength, cognition) alongside appearance may provide a more complete picture of your biological age than chronological age alone.
Perceived age—which is widely used by clinicians as a general indication of a patient’s health—is a robust biomarker of ageing that predicts survival among those aged ≥70 and correlates with important functional and molecular ageing phenotypes.
Why this rating
Large cohort (n=1826), long follow-up (7 years), rigorous statistical adjustment, twin analysis for genetic control, but observational design limits causal inference.
Source
Perceived age as clinically useful biomarker of ageing: cohort study
Kaare Christensen et al. · BMJ · 2009
DOI 10.1136/bmj.b5262
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