(Nature) – Armed with an influx of cash and public enthusiasm, researchers are looking to improve how ageing is measured.

Mixed feelings of enthusiasm and apprehension were common among researchers who spoke to Nature about efforts to develop tests that measure the impact of ageing on the body. With money pouring into the field and an unprecedented level of public attention and excitement, scientists are publishing a steady stream of papers on ways to measure how rapidly a person’s body is declining. Many of the measures look at chemical marks on DNA known as methylation, or at proteins or metabolites that can be found in the blood. These biological markers, or biomarkers, could prove incredibly useful as part of burgeoning efforts to develop drugs and other therapies that would forestall the negative effects of ageing and increase what gerontologists refer to as the healthy lifespan.

Often, however, test results that use these biomarkers are interpreted and presented without a full reckoning of the uncertainties that plague them. It’s a problem not just for commercial tests, but also for media articles and even scientific publications. (Read More)