Cohort2018 · Aging · Levine ME, Horvath S et al.
Levine: PhenoAge — 9 routine lab values predict death better than age
Who, how long
Developed in NHANES III (n=9,926), validated in NHANES IV (n=6,209); 23 years of follow-up
What they found
Albumin, creatinine, glucose, CRP, lymphocyte percentage, MCV, RDW, ALP, white cell count plus age: every +1 year of the resulting “phenotypic age” (above calendar age) means 9% higher mortality, across every disease group. The DNAm PhenoAge epigenetic clock built on it predicts mortality better than the Horvath clock.
⚠ Caveat
A population-level predictor; at the individual level day-to-day lab variation shifts it ±2–3 years. It's unproven that lowering PhenoAge (e.g. by pushing down CRP) yields longer life.
Last reviewed: 6 September 2026
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