Your Age is Just a Number.
Your Health Story is Different.
Measure it. Understand it. Improve it.
Understanding Your Phenotypic Age
Your chronological age simply tells you how many years you have lived. Phenotypic Age gives an idea of how healthy your body appears to be for your age.
Take two people who are both 40 years old. They have the same chronological age. But one may be healthier, more active and have a healthier blood profile, while the other may already have several risk factors for lifestyle-related health problems. So, although both are 40 years old, their bodies may not be ageing at exactly the same pace.
Think of Phenotypic Age as an early health signal—a way of understanding your health better and identifying areas that may deserve attention.
The Science Behind Systantra
At Systantra, our starting point is the Levine Phenotypic Age (PhenoAge) model. It was developed by Morgan E. Levine and colleagues as a research-based way of estimating Phenotypic Age using your chronological age together with several routinely available blood-test markers.
Research has found that people with higher Phenotypic Age tend to have higher risks of death and several other unfavorable health outcomes, even after taking chronological age into account.
What Makes It Different?
Gym Scales (Fitness Age): A fitness-age system mainly looks at your body composition (fat/water) and fitness-related measurements. It is not the same as Phenotypic Age, which combines your age with actual blood-based health markers.
DNA (Epigenetic) Clocks: These methods study patterns of DNA methylation to estimate biological age. They generally require specialized laboratory testing and can be considerably more expensive than using routine clinical blood-test information. Systantra starts with the Levine Phenotypic Age model because it offers a research-based, practical and accessible way to begin understanding your health profile.
Your Phenotypic Age is Not a Diagnosis
If your Phenotypic Age is higher than your chronological age, it does not mean that you have a disease. It does not mean that you will definitely develop diabetes, heart disease, cancer, kidney disease or any other condition. Your Phenotypic Age should never replace a medical consultation or treatment prescribed by your doctor.
Instead, it should help you ask better questions: "Why is my health profile looking older than my actual age?" and "What can I do to improve the factors that I can control?"