TruAge Biological Age Test Review - Is It Worth Your Money?

Do you ever wonder why some people look and feel a complete picture of health well into their senior years while others struggle with aches, pains and other ailments in the supposed prime of their life?

The answer to this puzzle lies in your biological age; in other words, the true age of the cells within your body. Biologically, we all age at a different rate to our chronological age (the number of years we’ve been alive). 

Genetics play a key role in our health and lifespan; however, everything from our diet, quality of sleep, and stress levels to our environment, alcohol consumption, and the amount of exercise we do directly affect how well or poorly we age. The interplay between these factors is referred to as epigenetics. 

But how can our biological age be quantified in a way that is meaningful to us? 

There are several biological age tests available on the market, using different methods to calculate biological age. While each process has its pros and cons, the most popular method is known as epigenetic testing, as used in the TruAge test by TruDiagnostics. 

If you’re keen to learn how fast your body is ageing and considering taking a biological age test, keep reading for a comprehensive review of the TruAge biological age home test kit. 

What Is TruAge?

Research confirms that biological age is a far more reliable marker of health and wellness than measuring the years that have passed since birth. TruAge is a home biological age testing kit backed by science that uses blood sampling to estimate the user’s biological age.

The test uses a sophisticated set of algorithms designed to help customers understand their rate of cellular ageing based on epigenetic markers and provide health insights and advice on how to increase their healthspan and effectively reverse their biological age.

There is a choice of two test kits depending on your health goals and budget. The TruAge Complete Collection kit costs $499 and offers an entire suite of epigenetic ageing reports and ageing algorithms to give you a more comprehensive picture of biological ageing.

The TruAge PACE kit costs $229 and is a more basic, budget-friendly version of the Complete Collection kit. It offers a concise summary of how the user’s lifestyle choices affect their pace of ageing in a way that is easy to interpret. 

How Does TruAge Calculate My Biological Age?

TruAge calculates your biological age through a finger-prick blood sample, which you do at home and mail to the accredited TruDiagnostic lab for analysis. 

Your biological age is calculated by observing changes in DNA methylation. The method involves running the blood sample through 900,000 DNA sites (loci) where methylation has occurred. Changes in methylation result in specific genes being switched on or off based on environmental and lifestyle factors without affecting the DNA structure.

The process is completed using an advanced algorithm called DunedInPoAm, which provides a quick rate of ageing alongside your biological age. As opposed to other ageing algorithms that provide a cumulative rate of ageing over an individual’s lifetime, DunedInPoAm is more responsive to short-term lifestyle changes, which correlates to better-predicted health outcomes. 

It takes 2-3 weeks to receive your result, which includes your biological age, telomere length, the pace of ageing, and lifestyle suggestions on how to reverse your biological age.

If you purchased the Complete Collection kit, you would receive an additional 85+ page report that provides a detailed breakdown of how various factors influence your biological age, including intrinsic and extrinsic age, immune cell type ratios, and weight loss response to caloric restrictions.

Pros And Cons Of TruAge

TruAge claims to have several advantages over its competitors. But is it really a market leader in biological age home testing? Take a look at the pros and cons below and decide for yourself. 

Pros

• The turnaround speed of 2-3 weeks is considerably faster than many of TruAge’s competitors, which can take up to 12 weeks to return results. 
• Biological age testing kits are available to purchase globally.
• The company has a high level of privacy and data protection measures in place. It is HIPAA compliant and doesn’t use third parties for testing or sharing customer data. Customers also have the option to opt out of participating in TruDiagnostic’s research programs.
• Uses third-generation biological clock technology for precise and accurate results. The DunedInPoAm algorithm technology has robust scientific evidence to build an accurate report on loci measurements and enhanced reproducibility. 
• Comprehensive analysis of epigenetic profile based on the vast number of DNA methylation sites it analyses and the number of reports it provides based on the sample feedback, including epigenetic age, telomere length, weight loss response, and immunity. 
• Offers your current rate of ageing independent of your biological age. Alternative biological age tests only provide a cumulative rate of ageing based on damage throughout a person’s lifetime, whereas TruAge tells you how well you are currently ageing.
• The Complete Collection kit offers a free 30-minute consultation with an expert to discuss your epigenetic age and how to lower it.
• Option to download your methylation data report, which includes all 900,000 epigenetic sites. Essentially, you own your DNA methylation data and are free to run it across alternate third-party algorithms to check for other biomarkers or compare results. 

Cons

• Relatively highly-priced compared to other biological age test kits available on the market.
• TruDiagnostics is still a relatively new company, founded in 2020; therefore, its tests have not been subjected to a rigorous, long-term study.
• The sample reports aren’t available to view online.
• Because TruAge is not a diagnostic test, it doesn’t require FDA approval.

GlycanAge vs TruAge

Instead of using blood algorithms, epigenetic testing, and telomere lengths to measure biological age, GlycanAge has taken a novel approach to quantify biological age.

This process measures sugar molecules, called glycans, to assess the extent of inflammation in an individual’s immune system and determine biological age. The amount of pro-inflammatory glycans present in the blood directly correlates with one’s biological age and the risk of age-related chronic disease. 

While the natural passage of time and genetics influence the rate of inflammation, inflammation is also determined by external, controllable factors such as environment and lifestyle choices. 

Reasons to choose GlycanAge:

• Chronic inflammation is a common denominator to a wide range of chronic disease processes and plays a key part in the shortening of human healthspan. You can quantify it only using the GlycanAge test. 
• Tests have a quicker turnaround speed, with results available in 3-5 weeks.
• Test packages are more affordable, with one test costing $348 and two tests priced at $599. There is also a custom plan for long-term subscribers offering additional discounts, and price plans are also available to spread the cost over time. 
• Tests are available to customers worldwide.
• The test is backed by over 200 peer-reviewed papers and a diverse board of scientists with over 20 years of research in the field of glycobiology.
• The package offers complimentary expert 1-1 advice from scientists and/or healthcare professionals to help you understand your results and devise an action plan to tackle your biological age.
• The technology behind the test is built on a baseline of 80,000 human samples, allowing for a better assessment of the efficacy of lifestyle interventions.