Today’s post discusses two new biometrics I measured while participating in the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine conference in Las Vegas. Those metrics are Skin Carotenoid Score (CSC) and an Advanced Glycation Endproduct cardiovascular risk assessment. Both technologies use light to measure the respective levels.
Skin Carotenoid Score
Carotenoids are antioxidant substances that are abundant in fruits and vegetables. These carotenoids can neutralize free radicals in our bodies that would otherwise go on to cause damage and inflammation. There are other antioxidant tests available, but they are less accurate because of the fluctuations that can occur in blood and plasma. The SCS patented approach is more accurate and reliable as a biomarker because it looks at the skin’s levels of carotenoids, which are much more steady. Pharmanex, the producer of the technology, has over 200,000 scientific references on the effectiveness of their “NANO” technology.
Levels of SCS do not vary by age but do by gender. Females tend to have higher score than males.
SCS has been investigated in regards to disease risk. In a 2020 paper Skin carotenoids status as a potential surrogate marker for cardiovascular disease risk determination in middle-aged and older adults, researchers concluded that “Carotenoids bioavailability may be important for cardiovascular protection. SCS, driven by the corresponding plasma carotenoids, could be a potential noninvasive surrogate marker for CVD risk determination in middle-aged and older adults.” This study follows others, with similar findings.
Carotenoid levels can be increased by consuming adequate levels of fruits and vegetables. However, less than 12% of Americans consume the federal recommendation that adults eat at least 1½ to 2 cups per day of fruit and 2 to 3 cups per day of vegetables.
Consuming a mediterranean or as I follow, the NOVOS Longevity Diet, will ensure adequate intakes of fruits and vegetables. Although my business travel schedule has recently made it more difficult to consume as many fruits and vegetables as I otherwise would, my SCS was at a good place.
The biophotonic scanner calculates an SCS range that is typically between 20,000 to 55,000, with the average person scoring 20,000. Scores can be as low as below 10,000 and as high as 89,000+, but these levels are extremely rare. My result was 54,000, at the upper end of the healthy range.
Non-dietary factors that can negatively affect your score include excess sun exposure, smoking, pollution, frequent air travel, and high BMI.
Advanced Glycation Endproducts
Advanced Glycation Endproducts, also known as AGEs, are formed when sugar binds to proteins and fats in our cells, causing them and their associated tissues and organs to stiffen. This stiffness reduces the cells’ and organs’ ability to function properly, and can lead to outcomes like skin wrinkling, arterial stiffness, and more.
We can see AGEs form when we overcook foods and cause them to brown or char (think of chargrilled meats, or using a torch to brown a dessert like creme brûlée). This process also happens within our bodies.
The Diagnoptics device offers a medical-grade, non-invasive assessment of cardiovascular risk and diabetes risk by measuring AGEs levels.
As Diagnoptics states on their website, “The AGE Reader dramatically improves the cardiovascular risk prediction for diabetes, renal failure, and atherosclerosis patients,” and has been validated by a number of key studies.
Unlike the SCS, there is a correlation between an AGE level and chronological age. As we get older, more AGEs accumulate, and our bodies have a harder time protecting against them. The levels increase linearly, going from approximately (on average) 1 at birth to just under 3 by age 80.
After running the test multiple times at the A4M event (NOVOS brought the device to the conference), my score averaged 1.1, which is equivalent to the average score for an 11 year old.
Factors that can increase AGEs include high blood glucose, consumption of sugary and processed foods, and smoking. Regularly exercising, eating healthy foods from the earth, and even certain supplements may be able to reduce glycation. In consideration of my lifestyle, I suspect that these are many of the reasons I have a low AGEs score.
What’s next?
These two new biomarkers further validate my approach to a longevity-centric lifestyle, which is echoed by 19 other tests that I have written about (epigenetic, metabolomic, telomere, physiological, etc.).
Nonetheless, it also provides me with an area that I can potentially improve even further (though whether it would confer additional benefits is less clear): increasing my SCS output from 55,000 up to 75,000+. This can be accomplished through diet, by allocating more of my caloric intake towards carotenoid dense foods.