Forget how many candles you blew out on your last birthday cake. Scientists increasingly believe there may be a more revealing measure of how well you’re ageing – and even how long you might live.
Known as biological age, it reflects the toll that time, lifestyle and health take on the body, rather than simply how many years you’ve been alive.
It’s not just about vanity: research has linked ageing faster than your years to a greater risk of serious illnesses, including cancer, heart disease and dementia, as well as premature death.
And now, scientists have developed an AI tool that claims to estimate your biological age from nothing more than a selfie.
Developed by researchers at Mass General Brigham in Boston, the AI has been trained on millions of facial images to spot subtle signs of ageing around the eyes, nose and mouth.
And this week, scientists revealed that a related system could even predict cancer patients’ chances of survival.
The biological age test available to the public doesn’t diagnose illness or predict how long someone has left to live. But it does offer an intriguing glimpse of whether our faces are ageing faster or slower than the years suggest.
So we decided to put it to the test – with some surprising results.
Stacey, 42, from the US, was estimated to be nearly a decade younger by the tool
There was certainly some nervousness among the Daily Mail staff who volunteered to have their faces analysed.
After all, nobody particularly wants to be told they are ageing faster than they should be – especially when the results come with a number attached.
But for most of our volunteers, the news was reassuring. The AI judged almost everyone to be younger than their actual age, in some cases by almost a decade.
Among the biggest winners was Daily Mail US Science and Technology Editor Stacey Liberatore, 42, who was given a biological age of just 32.6 – almost ten years younger than her actual age.
How YOU can discover your biological age with a selfie
Biological age reflects your body’s physiological condition and how well you’re ageing rather than your actual, chronological age.
Research shows that people who look older than their actual age may have higher health risks – and understanding this can help you make more informed decisions about your health and lifestyle, the researchers say.
To find out your biological age, click this link and follow these three simple steps.
1. Review and complete the research consent form
2. Answer a few demographic and health questions
3. Upload a selfie and wait for your biological age
Stacey doesn’t smoke or drink alcohol, two habits known to have a significant impact on long-term health.
Meanwhile, Cameron Roy, 29, was told his biological age was 25.5. He also doesn’t smoke and has given up drinking, something he believes may have helped keep his score down.
My fellow Daily Mail health reporter Ciaran Foreman, 24, had similarly encouraging news, receiving a score of just 20.1.
Trainee reporter Tara Russell, 24, was estimated to be 19.3, while The Mail on Sunday’s Health Editor Ethan Ennals, 31, was judged to be 28.2.
Elsewhere, the differences were less dramatic.
My mother, Jude, 65, was estimated to be 64, despite the fact she suffers from bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, while I was judged to be 25, which is my actual age.
But not everyone had reason to celebrate.
Mail on Sunday designer Lee Herniman, who recently turned 50, was told his biological age was 56 – making him one of the few participants whose score was significantly older than his actual age.
Lee was ‘surprised’ by the result, saying he exercises regularly – running and cycling – and has no known long-term health conditions. However, the father-of-two admits to enjoying sun holidays and, as a former amateur footballer, underwent surgery on both knees following injuries in his 30s.
His love of sunshine may offer one possible explanation. Research has shown that prolonged sun exposure can accelerate visible facial ageing, causing wrinkles and changes in skin texture that can make people appear older than their years.
Indeed, a review of seven studies involving more than 3,300 people found that those with the greatest exposure to sunlight consistently looked older than people of the same age who spent less time in the sun.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean Lee’s body is ageing faster, or that he is at greater risk of ill health.
Of course, being told you look younger than you are is flattering – particularly when the verdict comes from a supposedly impartial computer rather than a well-meaning friend.
But what does it actually mean?
Lee, 50, scored one of the highest biological ages of the group
Does a biological age ten years younger than your real age suggest you’re healthier than other people your age? And, more importantly, does it mean you’re likely to live longer?
The short answer is, quite possibly yes.
There is growing evidence that how quickly our bodies age may be an important indicator of our future health.
Studies involving tens of thousands of people have found that those whose biological age is older than their actual age face a greater risk of developing serious illnesses, including heart disease and cancer, as well as dying prematurely.
One major analysis, involving more than 40,000 people, found that every five years of accelerated biological ageing was associated with an eight to 15 per cent higher risk of death.
Other research has linked faster biological ageing with dementia and type 2 diabetes, suggesting the process may offer clues about our vulnerability to a range of diseases.
But there is an important catch.
Most of this research has relied on sophisticated tests that analyse changes in our blood, cells and DNA to estimate how quickly our bodies are ageing.
The new AI tool takes a very different approach, using nothing more than the appearance of our faces.
So can something as simple as a selfie really reveal what’s happening inside our bodies?
According to Dr Raymond Mak, one of the researchers behind the technology, it does.
Scientists have long known that people of the same age can look remarkably different, and that some of those differences may reflect their underlying health.
The researchers believe their AI can detect subtle facial changes associated with ageing that might otherwise go unnoticed.
And their findings suggest these changes could have real medical significance.
One of the most promising applications is in cancer care, where doctors must decide how aggressively to treat patients who may be physically frail.
‘You could have two 70-year-olds come in with a diagnosis of lung cancer,’ Dr Mak explained.
Cameron Roy, 29, was told his biological age was 25.5. He doesn’t smoke and has given up drinking, something he believes may have helped keep his score down
‘One may have smoked their entire life, be wheelchair-bound and look five or even ten years older than they actually are.
‘The other may still be working, exercising regularly and resemble a fit and healthy 50-year-old.’
Although both patients are the same age, their bodies may be very different in terms of how well they can cope with treatment.
The younger-looking patient might be able to tolerate aggressive chemotherapy, for example, while the older-looking patient could be at greater risk of serious side effects.
Doctors already make these judgements using their clinical experience, but researchers hope AI could provide a more objective assessment.
And early findings are striking.
In one study of cancer patients, a companion AI system trained to predict survival from facial photographs identified a group at particularly high risk of dying.
More than half of these patients died within 90 days, compared with just two per cent of those judged to be at lowest risk.
The technology is still experimental and cannot replace conventional medical assessments. Nor does it mean that a healthy person whose face looks older is necessarily at greater risk of dying.
But the findings suggest our faces may contain important clues about our underlying health that even experienced doctors struggle to detect.
Intriguingly, the researchers also discovered that the technology is surprisingly difficult to fool.
When they tested it on people who had undergone cosmetic procedures, including facelifts and Botox, they found that these treatments made little difference to their estimated biological age.
Even though patients looked younger to the naked eye, the AI was still picking up signs of ageing.
But if cosmetic surgery can’t turn back our biological clocks, is there anything that can?
It’s a question that has fuelled a booming longevity industry, with enthusiasts spending thousands on supplements, specialist diets and tests promising to reveal – and even reverse – the ageing process.
Yet according to Dr Francesco Lo Monaco, a cardiologist and founder of the National Heart Clinic, the most effective ways to protect our health as we age are considerably less glamorous.
Zoe Hardy was judged by the tool to be 25, which is how old she actually is. Her mother Jude, 65, scored a biological age of 64 despite suffering from osteoporosis
‘The biggest gains still come from the basics,’ he said.
Regular exercise is particularly important, with a combination of cardiovascular activity and strength training helping to protect the heart, maintain muscle mass and preserve bone strength.
Diet matters too. Research suggests that following a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in vegetables, fibre and healthy fats, is associated with a lower risk of several age-related diseases.
And getting enough sleep may be just as important.
Studies have linked regularly sleeping fewer than six hours a night with a greater risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Crucially, Dr Lo Monaco says it is never too late to make changes.
‘From what I see in clinic, there is no age at which it becomes meaningless to make positive changes,’ he said.
‘Even in your sixties, those improvements can make a meaningful difference.’
However, while healthier habits can reduce the risk of disease, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will produce a younger biological age score – or that lowering such a score will guarantee a longer life.
But experts warn against becoming too fixated on a single biological age score – particularly one calculated from a photograph.
‘Appearance can be misleading,’ said Dr Lo Monaco.
‘People can look ten years younger than they really are, and AI is very good at identifying clues linked to smoking, alcohol use and sun exposure.
‘But looking young and being biologically healthy are not necessarily the same thing.’
Indeed, someone could receive a reassuringly youthful score while unknowingly living with high cholesterol, raised blood pressure or another condition that increases their risk of serious illness.
And a person whose face appears older than their years may be perfectly healthy.
For this reason, the AI cannot replace blood tests, scans or other medical checks, and there is no evidence that an individual selfie score can reliably predict how long a healthy person will live.
For now, scientists caution that a biological age score is not a reliable prediction of how long an individual will live. And there is still no proof that lowering that score will, in itself, extend your life.
But Dr Mak believes the technology could eventually offer something more useful than a one-off assessment.
Because the AI can analyse old photographs as easily as new ones, it may be possible to track how quickly someone’s face is ageing over several years – and identify changes that warrant further investigation.
‘One of the unique things about this test is that people already have years, sometimes decades, of photos stored on their phones,’ he said.
‘A sudden acceleration in ageing may be a warning sign.’
