Research priorities for measuring biologic age: summary and future directions from the Research Centers Collaborative Network Workshop

Biologic aging reflects the genetic, molecular, and cellular changes underlying the development of morbidity and mortality with advancing chronological age. As several potential mechanisms have been identified, there is a growing interest in developing robust measures of biologic age that can better reflect the underlying biology of aging and predict age-related outcomes. To support this endeavor, the Research Centers Collaborative Network (RCCN) conducted a workshop in January 2022 to discuss emerging concepts in the field and identify opportunities to move the science forward. This paper presents workshop proceedings and summarizes the identified research needs, priorities, and recommendations for measuring biologic age. The highest priorities identified were the need for more robust measures, longitudinal studies, multidisciplinary collaborations, and translational approaches.

Automated summary

Biologic aging reflects the genetic, molecular, and cellular changes that occur with advancing age and contribute to decline in physical function and increased mortality. Developing reliable measures of biologic age is of growing interest to better understand the biology of aging and predict age-related outcomes. This paper presents workshop proceedings and summarizes the research needs, priorities, and recommendations for measuring biologic age.