Telomere Testing
Genes and aging
Telomeres are segments at the end of chromosomes that shorten every time a cell carries out a division. Their length has shown to be a good predictor of one’s lifespan because the dividing of cells and shortening of telomeres is what controls aging. Telomere length can be used as a predictive tool of overall health. Long telomere length is associated with good health and longevity.
Telomere length can be a biomarker of human aging because it decreases with aging, varies among individuals, records the life cycle of dividing cells, is strongly linked to inflammation and oxidation stress, and conveys one’s health status at a particular point in time.
Dr. Palmer does telomere testing in order to determine a patient’s health status and as an instrument to follow their progress. Telomere shortening can be reversed and slowed, and studies have shown that lifestyle changes can have an impact on telomere length.
Telomere testing
Is used to tell the difference between one’s biological age and chronological age. Someone who smokes and has diabetes will often have a biological age 20 years older than his or her chronological age.
Benefits of telomere testing
Having a telomere test is like measuring your overall vitality and health. People who wish to maintain a long and healthy life or make improvements to their health need telomere testing to measure their progress.
Short telomere length is associated with chronic diseases and certain cancers, so having this information can be a tremendous benefit in the prevention and monitoring of chronic diseases and in gauging your current health conditions.
It is a simple blood test that will give you a snapshot of your current health, and it can be done every year or every other year, to monitor progress. There is no magical treatment, but a decrease in telomere length can be slowed and even decreased, by lifestyle changes and nutritional supplements.