This simple saliva test could predict your life expectancy with 90% accuracy
Researchers have developed a simple saliva test that has seen unexpected success.
Researchers have developed a simple blood or saliva test that could assess your health span and lifespan by evaluating your intrinsic capacity (IC).
IC takes into account all the physical and mental abilities a person can draw on, including walking, thinking, seeing, hearing, and remembering.
Traditionally, measuring IC needed sophisticated equipment and trained personnel. However, this new method utilises DNA methylation patterns—chemical tags that regulate gene expression—to evaluate IC. The study, published in Nature Aging, indicates that this IC clock could be a valuable tool for tracking aging and guiding targeted interventions to maintain function in older age.
To fully utilise the new research, researchers have developed an “IC clock,” which is essentially an algorithm that analyses methylation patterns to estimate a person’s IC. This tool provides a quantitative score that correlates with functional abilities and potentially predicts lifespan.
Speaking to Medical News Today, Thomas M. Holland, MD, MS, a physician-scientist and assistant professor at the RUSH Institute for Healthy Aging, said that “a blood- or saliva-based test for intrinsic capacity, known as DNAm IC, is a very promising tool in aging science.”
“One of the most critical aspects is that this test can be done with a simple blood or saliva sample, making it accessible and noninvasive. It tells us not just how old you are, but how well you are aging, which is much more meaningful to help inform which interventions should be implemented, if any, to help prevent future health problems,” he concluded.
This marker reveals how fast you’re aging.
— Bryan Johnson (@bryan_johnson) April 30, 2025
+ New science just emerged to support it
+ It’s based on DNA methylation
+ It allows me to know what is and isn’t working
Here’s an overview of how:
+ it works
+ you can find out your result
+ you can compare your results to others pic.twitter.com/KU2hhqfm7s
“Scientifically, this reflects strong associations between high IC and better immune function, lower chronic inflammation, and reduced risk for diseases like hypertension, heart failure, stroke, and other age-related conditions,” he added.
Of course, despite the tests, keeping healthy is the best way to have a longer life: “Simply, if your body is functioning well internally you are more likely to live longer and stay healthier. This test doesn’t just give a snapshot of your current state; it may also offer a glimpse into your future health.”
Elena Rolt, MSc, DipION, IFMCP, a Registered Nutritional Therapist and Functional Medicine Practitioner and cofounder of Health Miro, who was not involved in this research, added that “the DNA methylation-based intrinsic capacity (DNAm IC) test shows significant potential as a practical measure of biological aging,“ Rolt told MNT. “Unlike traditional epigenetic clock based tests, it also captures functional aging more directly.
“As it reflects immune aging, physical capacity and lifestyle-related risk factors, this test may be particularly relevant for personalised aging interventions and preventive strategies.”
Holt did, however, express come caution at the new development: “However, its use should be complementary to other markers — e.g. PhenoAge, GrimAge, functional tests — and its utility in clinical practice will depend on further validation.”
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