Can IgG glycan testing bring 'biological age' into routine preventive care?
Industry Buzz
Physicians play a critical role in cutting through the growing noise around ‘anti-aging’ trends by anchoring patients in what is truly evidence-based and sustainable.
—Bert Mandelbaum, MD
Large-scale research has demonstrated that specific IgG glycome profiles may reflect accelerated biological aging. []
Researchers found that accelerated glycan aging had a strong association with increased risk of all-cause mortality, but interventions like hormone replacement therapy, calorie restriction, and therapeutic plasma exchange were associated with reversal of glycan aging. []
“This is the most comprehensive study to date, designed to unify three questions in a single framework: what the glycome predicts, how it changes in disease, and whether it can be reverted in response to intervention. Within this study, we integrated IgG N-glycome data from more than 20,000 individuals across 42 independent studies, which lets us say with real confidence that the glycome independently predicts all-cause mortality and responds to intervention, rather than relying on any single cohort,” Professor Gordon Lauc, co-author of the study and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Zagreb, tells MDLinx.
He says the study is an important step toward a more reliable biomarker for aging.
“A recurring problem in longevity science is that many proposed ‘ageing clocks’ predict age but haven't been shown to track hard outcomes or to move in response to intervention. The Biomarkers of Aging Consortium has set out criteria for what a valid ageing biomarker should do: be mechanistically grounded, predict real clinical outcomes, and respond to geroprotective interventions. The IgG glycome appears to satisfy all three—it's tied to chronic inflammation and inflammageing, it independently predicts all-cause mortality in this dataset, and it shifts measurably with intervention. That combination is still relatively rare, which is why we'd frame this as a meaningful step toward more rigorous, accountable biomarkers,” he says.
Related: This is when aging speeds upInterpreting results with caution
The results of the study are promising, but should be interpreted with appropriate caution, according to Dung Trinh, MD, an internist at MemorialCare Medical Group and Chief Medical Officer of Healthy Brain Clinic in Irvine, California.
“The association between accelerated glycan aging and increased all-cause mortality is not entirely surprising, since inflammation and immune dysfunction are already known to be linked with aging and chronic disease. What is helpful is that IgG glycan profiles may offer a more integrated marker of biological aging than traditional, single lab values, but the finding should be viewed as promising research rather than a clinically definitive predictor of lifespan,” he says.
He continues, “The right interpretation is: these findings suggest that IgG glycan age may be responsive to physiological interventions. They do not yet prove that these interventions broadly slow human aging or should be prescribed for longevity.”
The IgG glycan testing study is yet to be peer-reviewed, and experts say while the results are compelling, they should not distract from existing known interventions to improve long-term health.
Related: Male longevity is finally entering the exam room: What physicians should screen for nowPatient interest in longevity
With patients showing increasing interest in longevity-based medicine, the experts who spoke with MDLinx say physicians should rely on the best available evidence when counselling patients.
“Physicians play a critical role in cutting through the growing noise around anti-aging trends by anchoring patients in what is truly evidence-based and sustainable. While new theories and interventions continue to emerge, the foundation of healthy aging remains remarkably consistent—and highly actionable,” Bert Mandelbaum, MD, sports medicine specialist, orthopedic surgeon, and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, tells MDLinx.
He suggests physicians tell patients to focus on five pillars: nutrition, regular physical activity, cognitive engagement and social connection, sleep, and stress management.
It is a sentiment shared by Deborah Kado, MD, professor of medicine and Chief of Research for the Geriatrics Section in the Department of Medicine, Division of Primary Care and Population Health, at Stanford University.
She argues most patients can make simple improvements to their lifestyle to ensure healthy aging.
“They need not invest in the latest and greatest to best ensure healthy aging. What they can do is ask themselves what work they can do to improve what they are already doing in terms of what they choose to eat and how they move. I believe that all of us can make improvements in those areas," she says.
Related: These 2 workouts may help prevent cellular aging