Entropy and Human Aging

Entropy, a measure of disorder and randomness, is an essential feature of thermodynamics, chemistry, and information theory, but there has been little study of entropy in human aging. Entropy arises from random molecular interactions or other forms of damage and will manifest at all levels of human biology. It should also progress in concert across many systems and increase the risk of numerous aging-related conditions. Illustrating these principles, research by Hong in this issue of Aging Cell applies Mahalanobis distance to quantify entropy in electrocardiograms showing that entropy in one system predicts aging-related outcomes-fracture and mortality-beyond the heart. Important issues for research on entropy and human aging include the best methods for quantifying entropy and whether the development of entropy can be slowed or reversed in humans.