A biological age test is a lab test, usually of DNA methylation in blood or saliva, that uses a statistical model called an epigenetic clock to estimate how fast a person is aging compared with their calendar age.
- TruAge price
- $499; $849 bundled with TruHealth [1]
- What it reports
- OMICmAge, DunedinPACE pace of aging, telomere length and organ ages [1]
- Consistency
- Same sample can differ across companies; no reference standard [2]
- Regulatory status
- Not accepted by regulators as a surrogate endpoint [2]
- Price checked
- Oct 17 2026
How the tests work
Epigenetic clocks are statistical models built from DNA methylation patterns for population research, not for diagnosing one person [2]. A consumer test runs your sample through one or more of these models and reports a number.
TruDiagnostic's TruAge reports several clocks at once, including OMICmAge, DunedinPACE (a pace of aging score), telomere length and organ-specific ages [1].
How accurate is a biological age test?
Accuracy depends on what you mean. The clocks were built to study large groups [2]. We found no FDA clearance or approval for consumer epigenetic age tests, and no USPSTF recommendation, in our research. Reporting in The Scientist found that:
- The same sample sent to different companies can come back with significantly different results [2].
- There are no shared reference standards across labs [2].
- Saliva and blood results are not interchangeable [2].
- Regulators do not accept the clocks as surrogate endpoints, meaning a drop in your score is not accepted proof that a treatment works [2].
Use one lab and one sample type
If you retest to track change, the reporting suggests using the same company and the same sample type each time, since results across labs and sample types are not comparable [2].
What it costs
| Test | What it measures | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| TruDiagnostic TruAge | Epigenetic clocks, pace of aging, telomeres, organ ages | $499 | [1] |
| TruAge + TruHealth bundle | Above plus health trait reports | $849 | [1] |
| Superpower membership | Standard blood panel (not epigenetic) | $199 a year | [3] |
| Function Health membership | Standard blood panel (not epigenetic) | $365 a year | [4] |
| VO2 max test (HSS, NYC) | Fitness, linked to mortality in a large observational study | $315 | [5] |
Tests with a stronger link to outcomes
If the goal is a number that tracks your risk of dying early, cardiorespiratory fitness has large observational data. In 122,007 adults who had treadmill tests, the most fit had an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.20 compared with the least fit over a median 8.4 years. The study was observational [6]. See the VO2 max test page. For heart risk specifically, a coronary calcium score is used in the ACC/AHA guideline [7].
Who might still want one
People who enjoy tracking data, or who are joining a research study, may find a clock score interesting. It should not replace standard tests your doctor uses, such as the panels in longevity blood tests. For whole programs that bundle these tests, see the longevity clinic guide, Function Health vs InsideTracker and our Function Health review.
Questions people ask
How much does a biological age test cost?
TruDiagnostic listed its TruAge test at $499 on Oct 17 2026, or $849 bundled with its TruHealth report [1].
Are biological age tests accurate?
They are built for population research. The same sample can give significantly different results at different companies, there are no reference standards, and saliva and blood are not interchangeable [2].
Can I lower my biological age?
Is a biological age test covered by insurance or HSA?
Our research did not find insurance coverage for consumer epigenetic tests, and TruDiagnostic sells TruAge as a $499 cash purchase [1]. Ask your HSA administrator whether it qualifies.
What is DunedinPACE?
Is a VO2 max test a better measure than biological age?
Fitness has large observational outcome data, while clocks are not accepted by regulators as surrogate endpoints [2]. In 122,007 adults, the fittest group had an adjusted hazard ratio for death of 0.20 versus the least fit over a median 8.4 years, in an observational study [6]. A VO2 max test cost $315 at HSS in New York [5].
Sources
7 cited
- TruAge complete epigenetic collection. TruDiagnostic, accessed 2026-10-17.
- Epigenetic clocks power biological age data, but why do results differ across tests?. The Scientist, 2026.
- Superpower membership. Superpower, accessed 2026-10-17.
- Function Health pricing. Function Health, accessed 2026-10-17.
- Metabolic testing. Hospital for Special Surgery, accessed 2026-10-17.
- Association of cardiorespiratory fitness with long-term mortality among adults undergoing exercise treadmill testing (Mandsager et al.). JAMA Network Open, Oct 19, 2018.
- 2018 cholesterol guideline and the judicious use of coronary calcium score. American College of Cardiology, Aug 20, 2019.
This page is general information, not medical advice. Talk with a licensed clinician about your own care.