A new blood test is to be introduced in the United Kingdom that claims to be able to disclose how long you will live. The £435 ($700) test calculates the length of a person's telomeres - the researcher claims this is related to longevity. Telomeres are DNA parts that cover the edge of chromosomes, protecting them from getting damage and losing the cell function - which are believed to be related to aging.
If the makers Life Length; a Spanish company, is to be believed; their new death test can reveal the length of your life.
Inventor, Maria Blasco, head of telomeres research at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, said: "Knowing whether our telomeres are a normal length or not for a given chronological age will give us an indication of our health status and of our physiological 'age' even before diseases appear."
Blasco explains this new test is very small. It can ascertain tiny differences in telomere length. The process is fast and easy, and can assess multiple samples simultaneously.
Those who want to get the test done will have to go to their physician so that their blood can be extracted. The blood sample will be sent to a lab. The makers of the test told the results may take a month to come. However, in cases of emergency the company can do it in a week’s time.
A telomere is a part of repetitive DNA sequence at the edge of a chromosome. It inhibits the tip of the chromosome from worsening and mixing with other chromosomes.
Geneticists said that nonetheless it is true that telomere length is associated with the age of the person, the test cannot accurately tell you how long will you live. A person with short telomeres is not essentially close to death.
Dr. Blasco said the test is helpful. People have the opportunity of be alert to change their lifestyles and habits.
