Rosa Arévalo García
Lecturer in Psychobiology at the University of La Laguna
Molecular alterations associated with ageing can be linked to various disorders and chronic diseases typical of older age. One such alteration, DNA methylation in blood, is used as an epigenetic clock to determine an individual’s biological age, which does not always correspond to their chronological age. Depending on multiple lifestyle factors, such as diet or physical activity, the rate of ageing can increase or decrease, and these changes are reflected in the DNA.
The authors investigated the effects of different treatments on these epigenetic clocks: MVM (a multivitamin and mineral supplement) and cocoa extract, as well as a placebo for the control group, over two years in a population of 482 women and 476 men with a mean age of 70. They measured the effects on five epigenetic clocks: PCHannum, PCHorvath, PCPhenoAge, PCGrimAge, and DunedinPACE.
In participants who, prior to the trial, showed accelerated ageing, treatment with MVM produced slight but significant improvements in two of the five epigenetic clocks measured. However, when the ageing markers did not show this accelerated profile, MVM treatment had no effect. Similarly, cocoa extract had no effect on any of the five epigenetic clocks, regardless of the participants’ baseline ageing status at the start of the trial.
As the authors note, further studies are needed to determine the relevance of these findings. Specifically, the impact of MVM use on the development of age-related diseases would require longer-term studies.
Nevertheless, the use of these techniques is important for determining individuals’ true biological age and for tailoring treatments accordingly, rather than relying solely on chronological age.