Drugs and exercise shift DNA-based aging markers

A blood test could eventually offer researchers a faster readout of changes linked to biological aging, if these biomarkers are validated. At Yale, Raghav Sehgal and his team used DNA methylation biomarkers—chemical tags attached to DNA—to compare people's biological age before and after interventions. Across 51 anti-aging intervention studies, the analysis found that lifestyle changes and some prescription drugs shifted those markers, while over-the-counter supplements showed little effect.

The team measured more than 110 DNA methylation biomarkers, including 16 epigenetic clocks. These clocks use patterns of methyl tags, which change with age, to estimate biological age rather than simply counting years lived. The researchers grouped the interventions into four categories: pharmacological drugs, lifestyle changes, supplements and medical procedures.

Diet-and-exercise programs consistently decreased epigenetic age. The largest decreases appeared with pharmacological interventions including metformin and semaglutide, used for metabolic control and weight management, as well as anti-TNF therapies, which target a protein involved in harmful inflammation. Certain medical procedures and over-the-counter supplements did not decrease epigenetic age in the analysis.

The result is a measurement advance, not a prescription. The study found that newer biological-age clocks outperformed older models and that biomarkers changed more in people with diseases than in healthy volunteers, but the markers still need to be validated as predictors of long-term health. Sehgal's team says expanded testing in a widespread, diverse group of volunteers is the next step.

So what changes, concretely? If those biomarkers eventually prove reliable, researchers could screen potential aging interventions in months or years instead of waiting decades for long-term clinical evidence. That could make it easier to identify which treatments work, and for which people. For now, the reported effects belong to the biomarkers measured in the studies—not proof that supplements fail universally or that any drug extends human lifespan.