[Assessment of biological age and indices of aging]

People age at different rates. Accurate assessment of aging is indispensable for research in gerontology and geriatrics. Biological age can be estimated from age-related changes in physiological and physical functions. Disease, physical activity, and life-style have been shown to affect aging. Biological age was estimated by multiple regression. We studied how external appearances, diet, job status, smoking and alcohol consumption were related to aging. The subjects were 2,385 people of both sexes whose ranged from 15 to 87 years. Aging estimated by external appearance strongly correlated with changes in physiological functions and in physical strength. Diet was also found to be significantly related to aging. Biological age was significantly lower than calendar age in subjects with managerial jobs in non-smokers, and in those who drank a moderate amount of alcohol. These results show that biological age can be useful in aging research.