Index
The most precise measure of biological age
At-home saliva methylation test for biological age, pace of aging, and nine system ages
Biomarkers
11 age outputs (biological age + pace of aging + 9 system ages)
Collection
At-home
Turnaround
Approximately 6 weeks from sample receipt
Price
$299
Physician reviewed
No
Membership
Not required
About
Index is Elysium Health's at-home epigenetic biological-age test. A saliva sample is analyzed on a custom Illumina methylation chip and Elysium's APEX algorithm, developed with Morgan Levine, PhD of Yale and published in Nature Aging. One sample returns a whole-body biological age, cumulative pace of aging, and biological ages for nine systems: brain, heart, metabolic, immune, inflammation, kidney, liver, hormone, and blood. The test is $299 results take about six weeks from sample receipt, and users can opt into Elysium's TIME-A longitudinal aging study.
Index delivers biological age, pace of aging, and nine system-age results through the Elysium customer portal with more than 100 evidence-based lifestyle recommendations. A physician consultation is not included.
What to Know
Signature approach
Index is a saliva-based methylation test built for repeat tracking. The custom chip and APEX algorithm turn methylation patterns into a biological-age report, a pace-of-aging score, and nine system-age outputs. The user experience is portal-based: receive the scores, review lifestyle recommendations, and repeat later if you want to see whether the signal moves.
What sets it apart
- Peer-reviewed method. Index's APEX methodology was published in Nature Aging with Yale-linked work from Morgan Levine, PhD.
- Nine system ages. The report breaks the result into brain, heart, metabolic, immune, inflammation, kidney, liver, hormone, and blood age signals.
- Reliability focus. Elysium emphasizes technical-replicate agreement and real-world sample-handling tests as part of the Index story.
- TIME-A option. Users can contribute to Elysium's longitudinal Aging Research Center study.
Before You Order
- Plan for portal-based interpretation. Index gives a digital report and lifestyle recommendations, with no clinician review built in.
- Know the output type. It is methylation-based biological-age testing, so it will not replace blood chemistry, hormone testing, genetics, or imaging.
- Expect about six weeks. The lab and algorithm workflow is slower than routine bloodwork.
- Check payment expectations. Insurance is not accepted, and HSA/FSA approval depends on the user's card provider.
What's tested
Panel focus
What's included
Biomarker categories
Whole-body Epigenetic Age
2 markersSystem Ages
9 markersWhat’s not included
No physician consultation, SNP genetic variants, blood biomarkers, hormones, nutrients, telomere length, immune-cell deconvolution, or fitness estimates. Index is a methylation-only biological-age report.
Reference ranges methodology
Index examines DNA methylation patterns across the genome using a custom Elysium methylation chip developed with Illumina and the proprietary APEX algorithm. The method was built with Morgan Levine, PhD of Yale and published in Nature Aging in 2022. Elysium reports technical-replicate agreement within 0-1.5 years and says it tested real-world handling conditions such as sample delays and temperature swings.
Pricing
Starting at
$299
One Index biological-age test kit covering at-home saliva collection, Elysium-chip methylation profiling, APEX-algorithm computation of biological age + pace of aging + 9 system ages (brain, heart, metabolic, immune, inflammation, kidney, liver, hormone, blood), the digital report in the Elysium portal, and over 100 lifestyle recommendations.
Panel details
Index — one-time biological age test
11 biomarkers · At Home saliva
At-home saliva collection kit, prepaid return shipping, Elysium-chip DNA methylation profiling, APEX-algorithm computation, biological age + pace of aging + 9 system ages, digital report in the Elysium portal, lifestyle recommendations, optional TIME-A study enrollment.
Expected first-year cost
$299/yr - $299/yr
In practiceReal-world pricing notes, add-ons, and coverage limits.
Index is $299 for one kit, lab processing, and the portal report. There is no actively merchandised subscription tier or clinician-review add-on. Insurance is not accepted. HSA/FSA cards are case-by-case because Elysium does not pre-approve them or advertise Index as HSA/FSA eligible. Refunds are limited to unopened, unused kits within the Terms of Service window.
How it works
- 1
Order and ship
Buy Index online at $299 Standard shipping is free; FedEx Express delivers in 2–3 business days when ordered before noon ET.
- 2
Collect saliva at home
Provide a saliva sample using the included tube — no phlebotomy, no fasting, no clinic visit. Mail back via the prepaid return shipper.
- 3
Weeks 1–2: DNA extraction
The lab extracts DNA from the saliva sample and uses bisulfite conversion to distinguish methylated from unmethylated DNA across the genome.
- 4
Week 3: Methylation profiling
The bisulfite-converted DNA is loaded onto the custom Elysium methylation chip (built with Illumina) and scanned to generate the methylation profile. Quality control runs on every sample.
- 5
Weeks 4–5: Calculate ages via APEX
The proprietary APEX algorithm analyzes methylation across the genome to compute biological age, cumulative pace of aging, and the 9 system age scores.
- 6
Week 6+: Report in the portal
Roughly six weeks after sample receipt, results land in the Elysium customer portal at my.elysiumhealth.com — biological age, pace of aging, 9 system ages, and over 100 lifestyle recommendations. Re-test over time to track changes.
Frequently asked questions
What does Index measure?
DNA methylation patterns from a single saliva sample. Index returns whole-body biological age, cumulative pace of aging, nine system ages, and more than 100 lifestyle recommendations.
How is the sample collected?
At home, with a saliva collection tube. No phlebotomy, no fasting, no clinic visit. The kit ships with prepaid return shipping; FedEx Express delivery is available in 2–3 business days for orders placed before noon ET.
How fast are results?
Approximately six weeks from lab receipt. The sample goes through DNA extraction, methylation profiling, APEX analysis, and report generation before results land in the Elysium customer portal.
Does Index include a physician consultation?
No. The report is delivered through the Elysium account portal with lifestyle recommendations built in. Clinician review is not bundled.
Is Index a genetic test?
No. Index measures epigenetics through DNA methylation patterns. It does not return ancestry, carrier status, pharmacogenomics, or inherited SNP data.
Is Index FDA approved?
The FDA has not reviewed or approved Index as a medical device. Use the result as wellness and trend information, and bring medical decisions to a licensed clinician.
Is the test covered by insurance, HSA, or FSA?
Traditional insurance is not accepted. HSA/FSA card use depends on the user's card provider because Elysium does not pre-approve those cards or advertise Index as HSA/FSA eligible.
Can I get a refund?
Refunds are limited to unopened, unused kits when Elysium is notified within the Terms of Service window. Opened or used kits are treated as final sale.
What is TIME-A?
TIME-A — the Translational Initiative to Map Epigenetics in Aging — is a longitudinal study run through Elysium's Aging Research Center. All Index users who register their kits on the Elysium site are eligible to enroll for free via the customer portal. Participation contributes to research on the connections between epigenetics, lifestyle, demographics, and aging.
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