New Cheek Swab Test Predicts Mortality Risk

The CheekAge test, developed by Tally Health, uses DNA methylation markers to estimate lifespan from cheek cells.

CheekAge, an epigenetic clock, measures biological aging through a simple cheek swab.
The test was validated using blood samples from over 1,500 elderly participants in the Lothian Birth Cohorts study.
For each standard deviation increase in CheekAge versus chronological age, the risk of death rose by 21%.
Key DNA markers, such as ALPK2 and PDZRN4, were identified as significant predictors of mortality.
CheekAge's performance in predicting mortality outpaced several established blood-based epigenetic clocks.