Elysium Index Age Test Review - Is It A Good Investment?

To what extent are you willing to go in order to live a longer, more vibrant, and healthier life? From anti-ageing elixirs, serums, and supplements to pillows that prevent wrinkles, this multi-billion dollar industry panders to and profits from people’s obsession with staying young. But none of these measures are actually preventative; they merely appeal to our vanity, at worst, and provide a temporary solution, at best, all in the name of anti-ageing.

Learning the true extent of the ageing process is more than skin-deep. To delay and possibly even reverse the process of getting older, it’s what’s on the inside that truly counts. The Elysium Index biological age test was designed to do just that. Here we delve into what the test is, how it works, and whether it’s really worth the money. 

What Is Elysium Index?

Your biological age is not necessarily the same as your chronological age (the number of years you’ve been alive). If you lead a healthy lifestyle, your biological age may be much lower than your chronological age, and vice versa if you make poor lifestyle choices or suffer from chronic illness. 

Elysium Index analyses one's epigenome to determine biological age, thus relying on the combined effects of genetics and lifestyle in determining biological age.

The test also allows one to track their rate of ageing per year of life lived so far, and provides science-backed lifestyle recommendations one may use so to adopt healthier lifestyle habits.

A single test kit costs $499, but special pricing is available for annual and semi-annual subscribers, starting at $299. 

How Does Elysium Index Calculate My Biological Age?

Elysium Index calculates your biological age from a saliva sample you take at home using their testing kit, which you then mail straight to their lab. Using superior technology called Algorithmic Platform for Epigenetic Testing (APEX), Elysium extracts your DNA and loads it onto a custom-made chip to analyse methylation patterns (a process that influences gene expression without altering the inherent structure of the DNA). Elysium then calculates your biological age by analysing over 100,000 sites on your DNA where methylation has occurred. 

Subscribers who take the test at regular intervals have the advantage of understanding their cumulative rate of ageing and how they compare to other individuals based on this metric. This cumulative rate of ageing is calculated by dividing your biological age by your chronological age. 

It takes around six weeks for the analysis process, after which you receive a comprehensive report with your results and tailored health, lifestyle, and nutritional recommendations to slow down ageing. 

Pros And Cons Of Elysium Index

Elysium claims that its age testing kit has numerous advantages over its competitors, but is it really the best biological age test kit on the market? Take a look at the pros and cons below and decide for yourself.

Pros

• Compared with other epigenetic tests, Elysium Index provides the most precise and reliable measure of biological age, thanks to the next-generation APEX technology, according to the company’s website.
• Provides better prediction of physical functioning status than the previous leading measure, DNAm PhenoAge.
• Boasts superior repeatability, eliminates ‘noise’ (or inaccuracy) between tests to less than one year, and better tracks lifestyle changes over time.
• Has a reputation for consumer data confidentiality by conducting anonymous tests that are matched back to the person’s account and can only be accessed by them. Data isn’t shared with third parties, and customers can remove all information from their files upon deleting their accounts.

Cons

• The test kit is still a relatively new technology and therefore has not been subjected to rigorous, long-term study. Certain protocols, such as saliva samples, are still in the process of being validated. For instance, users currently need to avoid food and drink for 30 minutes before depositing their sample into a tube. 
• Because Elysium Index is not a diagnostic test, it doesn’t require FDA approval.
• Relatively highly-priced compared to other biological age test kits available on the market.
• No specific biomarkers or genetic variants are currently being analysed as part of testing.
• Lifestyle recommendations are generic, providing common-sense advice that most people are aware of, such as generic advice on diet and exercise optimisation, stress and tobacco avoidance, and others.
• Testing is currently only available in the United States.

GlycanAge vs Elysium Index

Unlike many other testing kits that analyse telomere length or epigenetic information to determine biological age, GlycanAge relies on an analysis of glycans, complex sugars, for biological age determination.  

Your biological age is essentially calculated by measuring chronic inflammation levels in your body. Years of research have pointed to glycans on one of your proteins called immunoglobulin G being a good proxy of the amount of chronic inflammation, which is itself influenced by a number of factors, including natural passage of time, genetic make-up, and lifestyle choices.

Reasons to choose GlycanAge:

• The methylation analysis method used in the Elysium Index test measures epigenetic information, while glycan analysis measures inflammation levels, with chronic inflammation being the common denominator in all chronic disease processes. 
• 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 doctors 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. 

Try GlycanAge now!