GlycanAge

What it is

GlycanAge estimates biological age from the relative abundance of sugar chains (glycans) attached to circulating immunoglobulin G (IgG). The specific pattern of IgG glycosylation — particularly the ratio of galactosylated and sialylated to agalactosylated forms — reflects the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory immune signalling.

Why it matters

IgG glycan changes track chronic inflammation, which is one of the most consistent age-related signatures (Chronic inflammation). The signal is relatively stable over weeks to months and responds to lifestyle changes, hormone-replacement therapy, and disease.

Strengths and limitations

• Strengths: biologically grounded in inflammation; responsive to interventions on the timescale of months; relatively reproducible.
• Limitations: correlates with but is not redundant with epigenetic clocks; single time-point interpretation should be treated with the same caution as any biological-age test.

Practical use

Sold as a direct-to-consumer test in several markets. Like all biological- age tests, it is most informative as a trend over time and in the context of other clinical biomarkers, not as a single number.

Related entries

See also: Chronic inflammation, hsCRP, Epigenetic clocks.