# Epigenetic Age Tests

Commercial epigenetic age tests cost roughly $100 to $500, are not covered by statutory insurance in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland, and are research-grade rather than clinical. They read DNA methylation patterns to estimate biological age and correlate well with calendar age (around r = 0.96), but different clocks give different numbers, so the trend over time matters more than any single result. For many people, free tools and standard blood work cover the basics first.

Are biological age tests worth it? What the science actually says

## On this page

- How Epigenetic Tests Work
- Types of Epigenetic Clocks
- How Accurate Are They?
- Are They Worth the Cost?
- Free Alternatives

## FAQ

- How often should I take an epigenetic test?
- Can my biological age go down?
- Which commercial test should I pick?
- Will my insurance cover biological age testing?

## Sources

- Horvath S. (2013). DNA methylation age of human tissues and cell types. Genome Biology. https://doi.org/10.1186/gb-2013-14-10-r115
- Hannum G, Guinney J, Zhao L, et al.. (2013). Genome-wide methylation profiles reveal quantitative views of human aging rates (Hannum clock). Molecular Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2012.10.016
- Levine ME, Lu AT, Quach A, et al.. (2018). An epigenetic biomarker of aging for lifespan and healthspan (PhenoAge). Aging (Albany NY). https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.101414
- Lu AT, Quach A, Wilson JG, et al.. (2019). DNA methylation GrimAge strongly predicts lifespan and healthspan. Aging (Albany NY). https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.101684
- Lu AT, Binder AM, Zhang J, et al.. (2022). DNA methylation GrimAge version 2. Aging (Albany NY). https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.204434
- Belsky DW, Caspi A, Corcoran DL, et al.. (2022). DunedinPACE, a DNA methylation biomarker of the pace of aging. eLife. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.73420
- Fitzgerald KN, Hodges R, Hanes D, et al.. (2021). Potential reversal of epigenetic age using a diet and lifestyle intervention. Aging (Albany NY). https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.202913
- Fitzgerald KN, Hodges R, Hanes D, et al.. (2024). Corrigendum: Potential reversal of epigenetic age using a diet and lifestyle intervention. Aging (Albany NY). https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.205700
- Higgins-Chen AT, Thrush KL, Wang Y, et al.. (2022). A computational solution for bolstering reliability of epigenetic clocks (PC-clocks). Nature Aging. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-022-00248-2
- Borrus DS, Sehgal R, Armstrong JF, Kasamoto J, González JT, Higgins-Chen AT. (2024). When to Trust Epigenetic Clocks: Avoiding False Positives in Aging Interventions (PMC11526921, PMID 39484440). bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.10.22.619720

_Full guide: https://usa-longevity.com/en/guide/epigenetic-tests_

---

_Canonical: https://usa-longevity.com/en/guide/epigenetic-tests · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_