Epigenetic Lifestyle Score
Epigenetic age is estimated by laboratory "clocks", such as Horvath's 2013 clock, from chemical tags (methylation) on DNA in a blood or tissue sample. A questionnaire cannot measure it. This page explains the idea and gives a transparent points score for habits that research has linked with older epigenetic-clock results on average.
Before you start
Method : Epigenetic lifestyle score — a custom points score written by this site. Each answer adds or subtracts the points shown in the Methodology table below.
Validation : Unvalidated. The points have never been tested against any laboratory measurement or health outcome, and the result is not an age.
Review : not reviewed by a qualified clinician. Educational only — not a diagnosis or a medical test.
This does not measure your epigenetic age. That requires a laboratory DNA methylation test.
Your answers stay in this browser tab; nothing is sent or stored.
Answer the questions, then press Calculate score.
How to Use This Calculator
- Answer each question.
- Press Calculate score.
- Read the breakdown to see where your points come from.
Methodology & assumptions
Your score is the sum of the points below. The weights are our own judgement, not coefficients from any epigenetic clock. Questions that need a lab test (methylation status, inflammation, oxidative stress, cellular repair, telomere health) were removed because nobody can answer them honestly without one.
| Factor | Answer | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Smoking | Never | 0 |
| Former | +1 | |
| Current | +4 | |
| Usual diet | Mostly processed / fast food | +2 |
| Mixed | 0 | |
| Mostly vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes | -1 | |
| Physical activity | Little or none | +2 |
| 1–2 days a week | +1 | |
| 3–4 days a week | 0 | |
| 5+ days a week | -1 | |
| Sleep per night | Under 6 hours | +1 |
| 6–9 hours | 0 | |
| Over 9 hours | +1 | |
| Ongoing stress | Low | 0 |
| Moderate | 0 | |
| High most of the time | +1 | |
| Alcohol (drinks a week) | None | 0 |
| 1–3 | 0 | |
| 4–7 | +1 | |
| 8 or more | +2 | |
| Body mass index (BMI, kg/m²) | Under 25 | 0 |
| 25–29.9 | +1 | |
| 30 or more | +2 | |
| Air pollution where you live | Low / average | 0 |
| Heavy traffic or industry | +1 |
Worked examples
Current smoker, mixed diet, little activity, under 6 h sleep, high stress, 1–3 drinks, BMI 27, low pollution: 4 + 0 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 0 + 1 + 0 = +9 points.
Never smoked, mostly whole foods, active 5+ days, 7 h sleep, low stress, no alcohol, BMI 22, low pollution: 0 − 1 − 1 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 = −2 points.
Understanding your result
The score describes your answers only. It cannot tell you your epigenetic age, whether you are aging faster than others, or your disease risk. Lab clocks themselves differ from one another and have measurement error.
Sources & further reading
- Horvath S. DNA methylation age of human tissues and cell types. Genome Biology 2013;14:R115.
- Lu AT, Quach A, Wilson JG, et al. DNA methylation GrimAge strongly predicts lifespan and healthspan. Aging 2019;11(2):303-327.
The points table is our own convention and is not taken from these papers.
Frequently Asked Questions
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