Your chronological age is fixed — it’s how many years you’ve been alive. Your biological age is different. It measures how old your body actually is based on clinical biomarkers, and it can be higher or lower than your calendar age.
PhenoAge, developed by Morgan Levine and colleagues in 2018, is one of the most validated biological age algorithms. It uses 9 routine blood biomarkers that you can get from any standard blood panel.
The 9 Biomarkers
| Biomarker | What It Measures | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Albumin | Liver function, nutrition | Low albumin is one of the strongest predictors of all-cause mortality |
| Creatinine | Kidney function | Elevated levels indicate declining renal function |
| Glucose | Metabolic health | Chronic elevation drives glycation and accelerated aging |
| C-Reactive Protein (CRP) | Systemic inflammation | The master inflammation marker — low CRP correlates with longevity |
| Lymphocyte % | Immune composition | Declining lymphocyte percentage indicates immune aging |
| Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) | Red blood cell size | Abnormal MCV signals nutrient deficiencies or bone marrow issues |
| Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) | RBC size variation | Elevated RDW is an independent mortality predictor, often overlooked |
| Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) | Liver and bone health | High ALP associates with cardiovascular mortality |
| White Blood Cell Count (WBC) | Immune activity | Chronic elevation indicates ongoing inflammation |
How the Math Works
PhenoAge uses a Gompertz proportional hazards model calibrated on NHANES III data (a large US population study). The algorithm:
- Takes your 9 biomarker values
- Applies log transformations to glucose and CRP (these have exponential relationships with mortality)
- Computes a composite mortality risk score using published coefficients
- Converts that risk score back into an equivalent age
If your mortality risk profile matches someone who is 35 in the reference population, your PhenoAge is 35 — regardless of whether you’re chronologically 35, 45, or 55.
What the Numbers Mean
- PhenoAge < Chronological Age: You’re aging slower than average. The bigger the gap, the better.
- PhenoAge = Chronological Age: You’re aging at a typical rate.
- PhenoAge > Chronological Age: You’re aging faster than average. This is a signal to investigate which biomarkers are driving the acceleration.
Most people in the longevity community target a PhenoAge that is 5-10 years below their chronological age.
How to Improve Your PhenoAge
The most impactful levers, based on the algorithm’s coefficients:
- Reduce CRP — This is the single biggest driver. Anti-inflammatory diet, omega-3 supplementation, regular exercise, and sleep optimization all help.
- Optimize glucose — Fasting glucose under 90 mg/dL is the target. Time-restricted eating, berberine, and exercise are the primary tools.
- Maintain albumin — Adequate protein intake (1.2-1.6g/kg body weight) keeps albumin healthy.
- Lower RDW — Often improved by addressing iron, B12, and folate status.
Calculate Yours
You can compute your PhenoAge right now using our free Bio Age Calculator. Enter your 9 biomarker values from your latest blood work and get your result instantly.
In LongevityGraph, PhenoAge is just one of 9 biological age systems. The full platform tracks cardiovascular, immune, metabolic, renal, neurological, cognitive, telomere, and epigenetic age — all updated automatically when you upload new blood work.
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