A large preprint study combining data from over 20,000 people across 42 studies has validated IgG glycans — sugar molecules attached to immune proteins — as a reliable biological aging marker. Researchers found that glycan patterns independently predict all-cause mortality and respond to interventions. Three anti-aging approaches were compared: therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), hormone replacement therapy, and caloric restriction. TPE produced the biggest monthly reduction in biological age, cutting glycan age by 0.4 years per month. Earlier clinical data also showed that biweekly TPE combined with intravenous immunoglobulin reduced biological age by 2.6 years on average across multiple aging measures. The findings position IgG glycans as both a predictor of health outcomes and a tool for tracking whether interventions are actually working.
