Ageing is a multifactorial process that affects most, if not all, of the body's tissues and organs and can be defined as the accumulation of physical and psychological changes in a human being over time. The rate of ageing differs between individuals of the same chronological age, meaning that 'biological age' of a person may be different from 'chronological age'. Furthermore, ageing represents a very potent risk factor for diseases and disability in humans. Therefore, establishment of markers of biological ageing is important for preventing age-associated diseases and extending health span. MARK-AGE, a large-scale European study, aimed at identifying a set of biomarkers which, as a combination of parameters with appropriate weighting, would measure biological age better than any marker in isolation. But beyond the identification of useful biomarkers, MARK-AGE provided new insights in age-associated specific cellular processes, such as DNA methylation, oxidative stress and the regulation of zinc homeostasis.
Keywords: Biological age; Biomarkers; Chronological age; DNA damage; DNA methyltransferases; Epigenetics; Europe; Health span; Human ageing; Nutrition; Observational study; Oxidative stress; Peripheral blood mononuclear cells; Ten-eleven translocation family of 5-mC hydroxylases; Vaccination; Zinc homeostasis.
Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.