Sex-Specific Biological Aging Clocks Across Organs And Omics
Our bodies age, but not all parts age at the same rate, and importantly, this process can differ significantly between sexes. Traditionally, many tools used to measure biological age—how old your body seems compared to your actual calendar age—were developed by combining data from both men and women. This approach, however, might overlook crucial differences in how aging manifests in each sex.
Recent research has introduced a new way to look at aging by creating 38 distinct “biological aging clocks” tailored specifically for males and females across 15 different organ systems. These clocks are essentially sophisticated computer models that analyze various biological markers to estimate an organ’s age. By training these models separately for each sex, scientists found that the patterns of aging, the underlying genetic influences, and even the molecular pathways involved (like those related to the immune system or metabolism) are often quite different between men and women.
This means that what might indicate accelerated aging in a woman’s heart, for example, could be different from what signals it in a man’s heart. These sex-specific clocks proved to be more effective at predicting the onset of various diseases and overall mortality than the older, combined models. For instance, they revealed sex-dependent patterns in cognitive decline related to Alzheimer’s disease. This work highlights the importance of considering sex as a fundamental factor in understanding and addressing aging and age-related diseases, moving towards more personalized and effective healthcare strategies.
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