Steve Horvath, PhD, ScD is a professor of human genetics and biostatistics at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. Dr. Horvath is the creator of the Horvath Epigenetic Aging Clock. His work incorporates elements of biostatistics, genetics, epidemiology, epigenomics, and other fields of study. He applies his understanding of this diverse range of disciplines to study a spectrum of chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, and other diseases of aging.
Dr. Horvath’s so-called “pan-tissue epigenetic aging clock” is an algorithm that accurately predicts a person’s chronological age from marks on the DNA across multiple cells, tissues, and organs, and even mammalian species. Further refining this initial algorithm, Dr. Horvath built on this to develop second-generation clock algorithm that could predict time-to-death among people of the same chronological age, as well as lifespan and healthspan. One of these clocks, the GrimAge clock, is named deliberately after its connotation: predicting time until death (“Grim”).
In this episode, Dr. Steven Horvath describes epigenetic clocks and their role in predicting – and possibly slowing – aging
GET THE SHOW NOTES:
(👆↑ You’ll really want these. These notes have clips, in-depth timeline, quotes, a glossary, a transcript, and more.)
Dr. Horvath’s faculty bio page:
Dr. Horvath’s Wikipedia page:
Dr. Rhonda Patrick’s 3-minute video crash course in epigenetics:
The FoundMyFitness OVERVIEW ARTICLE on epigenetic clocks:
(👆↑ This article has dozens of citations!)
CHAPTERS
00:00:34 – The Horvath clock explained: Methylation patterns at unique areas of our DNA involved in gene regulation predict a person’s age within four to five years.
00:06:42 – The effect of HEREDITY on the epigenetic clock rate (determines as much as 40 percent of rate).
00:12:48 – How the stability of epigenetic information has potential implications in forensic science.
0:26:08 – How diet, exercise, education, and lifestyle factors effect the epigenetic clock.
00:31:59 – How transplanting young cells into an old body may slow epigenetic aging of the recipient.
00:47:23 – Reprogramming pluripotent stem cells by activating specific genes can reset the epigenetic clock.
00:50:56 – Do epigenetic changes drive aging, or are they the result of aging (just the “face of the clock”)?
01:02:32 – How poor sleep speeds up the epigenetic clock.
#aging #longevity #epigenetics
