Telomere Testing Basics

A Crystal Ball of Sorts?

Would you like to get a picture of your overall health and maybe even get an idea of how long you are likely to live? I know some people don't want to know and if that is you, you can look for something else to read instead. But before you go, what if you had genetic information that indicated that you are likely to live another 35 years or maybe only 5 more years. Would this information help you with decision making? I think it would. If I knew that my genetic information indicated with a high probability that I would likely only make it 5-10 more years, I might make some changes. Of course, no lab test like this can be that specific about your life expectancy but you can certainly see trends with a combination of lab tests that should include a telomere test.

Shorter Telomeres=Greater Disease and Death Possibilities

Telomeres are like DNA end caps that protect the DNA from various types of damage. Think of telomeres like the defensive line protecting the quarterback. The current theory states that as the cells grow and divide, slowly these end caps erode and offer less and less protection to our DNA. The shorter the telomeres, the less protection and more subject you are to health risks. The telomeres are subject to damage from normal aging and from environmental toxins as well as any other type of chronic stress.

Cell division in the body is variable as some will be in a constant state of cell turnover and some will tend to last most of your life like a neuron. Many of our cells are capable of dividing only 40-60 times during a person's entire life and this is called the Hayflick limit after the scientist who described this phenomenon about 1961.

Use Telomere Length As A Measure of Lifestyle Choices

The telomeres tend to shorted with every cell division and when they are gone, the cell reaches its life limit or state of maturity that is called cellular senescence.

Knowing something about your telomeres gives you information about:

• Your biological age-your telomere length can be compared to others so you can see if you are aging more rapidly or slowly than others who have been checked
• Your disease risk-shorter telomeres are markers for age-related diseases
• Progress tracking-you can see if you efforts to stay as young as possible are paying off
• Help with cancer research-cancer researchers can use telomere length in their study of cancer
• Longevity research-researchers are using telomere information to learn more about aging and longevity

At OVitaminPro.com we are starting to have our telomeres tested with the plan to do this about once a year or so. The thinking from those in the testing and research field is that with yearly telomere information you will have a real good idea of how your lifestyle and genetics and environment are combining to affect your longevity. This will help you decide if your health decisions are on track or not.

Case History With Some Lessons

People being publically interviewed about telomere testing are very careful to state that this a new science and that we shouldn't draw too many conclusions yet and shouldn't make and sweeping generalizations about telomere length and longevity. Sure we do have much to learn but I think it would be wrong to minimize the benefit that knowledge about one's genetic protection can bring. My own father was a farmer and not to well versed in human physiology although he worked hard to keep the crops and livestock healthy. My parents got into selling and taking Shaklee products including some supplements in the mid 1970's. I remember my dad being pretty upset when he learned that in spite of all those Shaklee vitamins, he still developed an esophageal cancer that ended up taking his life. He wondered if he wasted all that money.

After working in health care for 35 years, I have a little different take on that. The problem is when we decide to take some steps to improve our health picture, we didn't always have good information about how to evaluate those lifestyle changes. I look at taking a few supplements as a step in the right direction but is still very incomplete. Who knows how many things need to be changed to achieve optimum health. In my dad's case, he needed to be gluten free, limit exposure to pesticides and herbicides like 2,4-D, lower stress and make some other dietary changes like elimination of trans fats. The problem was lack of information. We didn't know much about gluten or trans fats in the 70's. We wondered about the effects of herbicides and pesticides but were assured by the manufacturers that these were safe. As far as lowering stress, my mother was partially disabled due to some failed spinal surgeries so that didn't make home life any easier.

Knowing what we know today, we would test for those gluten sensitivities and other possible food issues, do a good blood test looking at inflammatory markers and liver enzymes etc and of course, check those telomeres. I would advise to take as many precautions as possible when handling or spraying the "cides".

We Can Help In California and Nevada

It is too late for my dad but it isn't too late for you. This is one good way to get information about how your lifestyle and environment are affecting your genetic integrity. We can facilitate telomere testing for anyone with a California or Nevada address. Cost may be different when you read this but is currently about $200 or so for the SpectraCell test plus the cost of the blood draw. SpectracCell was one of the first companies to see the potential benefits of telomere testing and is the company we trust.