GlycanAge
A biological age test that reads the sugar molecules on your immune system's antibodies. It's particularly good at capturing inflammation-driven aging — and responds quickly to lifestyle changes.
GlycanAge measures your biological age by analysing the glycan (sugar) structures attached to your IgG antibodies. As you age, these glycans shift from anti-inflammatory to pro-inflammatory patterns. The test captures your immune system's inflammatory state — making it especially responsive to lifestyle interventions.
What is this test?
Every antibody (immunoglobulin G, or IgG) in your body has sugar molecules — called glycans — attached to it. These glycans aren't decorative; they fundamentally change how the antibody behaves. Some glycan patterns make IgG anti-inflammatory. Others make it pro-inflammatory.
As you age, the ratio shifts: you lose the anti-inflammatory glycans (particularly those with galactose and sialic acid) and gain pro-inflammatory ones (agalactosylated IgG). This shift happens predictably and measurably — and it accelerates when chronic inflammation is present.
GlycanAge measures this ratio from a dried blood spot sample and converts it into a biological age estimate. If your GlycanAge is lower than your chronological age, your immune system is in a younger, less inflammatory state. If it's higher, there's work to do.
What your number means
Your result comes as a single number: your GlycanAge in years. Compare it to your actual age:
- 5+ years younger — Your immune system is aging slowly. Your inflammatory load is well-managed.
- Within ±5 years — Average. Your immune aging is tracking roughly with your chronological age.
- 5+ years older — Accelerated immune aging. Chronic inflammation is likely driving the gap. Focus on the lifestyle factors below.
- 10+ years older — Significant inflammatory burden. Worth investigating underlying causes — metabolic syndrome, obesity, chronic stress, poor sleep, or undiagnosed conditions.
Unlike epigenetic clocks (which capture broad aging patterns) or telomere length (which captures cellular division history), GlycanAge specifically reflects your immune system's inflammatory state. This makes it more responsive to recent lifestyle changes — some users see 5–10 year improvements within 6–12 months.
How to lower your GlycanAge
GlycanAge is one of the most intervention-responsive biological age markers. The glycan composition of your IgG can shift meaningfully within months.
- Lose excess body fat — Visceral fat is the single biggest driver of pro-inflammatory glycan patterns. Even 5–10% fat loss can shift your score.
- Exercise regularly — Both aerobic and resistance exercise improve IgG glycosylation patterns in studies
- Reduce chronic inflammation — Address root causes: poor diet, sleep deprivation, chronic stress, smoking
- Improve diet quality — Mediterranean-style eating patterns are associated with more anti-inflammatory glycan profiles
- Manage stress — Chronic psychological stress worsens IgG glycosylation; meditation and stress reduction help
- Omega-3 fatty acids — Anti-inflammatory effects may support healthier glycan patterns
- Optimise sleep — Poor sleep drives systemic inflammation that affects glycan composition
Want to track your biological age alongside your blood work?
eterni will integrate GlycanAge and other biological age markers with your standard labs — giving you the complete picture in one place.
Get early accessFrequently Asked Questions
How is GlycanAge different from epigenetic clocks?
They measure different biological signals. Epigenetic clocks read DNA methylation patterns — chemical tags on your DNA that change with age. GlycanAge reads the sugar molecules (glycans) attached to your IgG antibodies, which reflect your immune system's inflammatory state. Epigenetic clocks tend to capture cumulative aging damage, while GlycanAge is more responsive to recent changes in inflammation and lifestyle. Think of GlycanAge as a real-time inflammatory aging signal, and epigenetic clocks as a broader biological age estimate.
How much does GlycanAge testing cost?
A single GlycanAge test costs approximately €249–349 depending on the package. They offer subscription plans with two tests per year for tracking changes. The test is shipped internationally (including to India) as a dried blood spot kit — you prick your finger at home and mail the sample back. Results take 3–5 weeks.
What can actually improve your GlycanAge score?
GlycanAge is particularly responsive to changes in inflammation and metabolic health. The company's own studies and user data show the biggest movers are: weight loss (especially visceral fat reduction), regular exercise, improved diet quality, stress reduction, and better sleep. Some users report improvements of 5–10 years within 6–12 months of sustained lifestyle changes. Supplements with anti-inflammatory effects (omega-3, curcumin) may also contribute.
Is GlycanAge scientifically validated?
The underlying science of IgG glycosylation and aging is well-established — published in journals like Science, Nature, and JAMA, across cohorts of over 100,000 people. The specific commercial GlycanAge algorithm has been validated in multiple peer-reviewed studies showing it predicts biological age and responds to lifestyle interventions. However, like all biological age tests, it's a proxy measure — not a direct readout of how long you'll live.
The science of IgG glycosylation
IgG is the most abundant antibody in your blood. Each IgG molecule has two glycan chains attached at a specific position (Asn297) in its Fc region. These glycans control whether the antibody triggers inflammatory or anti-inflammatory responses when it binds to immune cells.
With aging, the glycan composition changes in predictable ways:
- Galactose decreases — Leading to more agalactosylated (G0) IgG, which is pro-inflammatory
- Sialic acid decreases — Removing an anti-inflammatory signal
- Core fucose increases — Altering antibody effector function
- Bisecting GlcNAc increases — Associated with more inflammatory IgG activity
These changes are consistent across populations and have been validated in cohorts exceeding 100,000 individuals across multiple countries. The shift correlates with the chronic low-grade inflammation ("inflammaging") that drives many age-related diseases.
How GlycanAge compares to other biological age tests
| Test | Measures | Responsiveness |
|---|---|---|
| GlycanAge | IgG glycan patterns (immune inflammation) | High — changes in months |
| Epigenetic clocks | DNA methylation (broad aging) | Moderate — changes over months to years |
| Telomere length | Chromosome caps (cellular division) | Low — changes over years |
Limitations
- Single biological dimension — GlycanAge captures immune/inflammatory aging but misses other aging mechanisms (DNA damage, mitochondrial decline, etc.)
- Acute illness can skew results — Infections, autoimmune flares, and recent vaccinations temporarily alter IgG glycosylation
- Limited longitudinal data — While the cross-sectional science is strong, long-term outcome studies linking GlycanAge changes to mortality are still limited
- Cost — At €249–349 per test, repeated testing adds up quickly
Know what's working. Know what's not.
eterni connects your lab results, supplements, and retests — so you can see the trajectory, not just a snapshot.
Join the waitlist