Will you buy this blood test kit (S$880), or an iphone?
LONDON: A blood test that can show how fast someone is ageing
will go on sale in Britain later this year, British newspapers
reported yesterday.
The test, which also offers the alluring possibility of
estimating how long the person has left to live, will cost £435
(S$880).
The new technology measures vital structures on the tips of a
person's chromosomes, called telomeres, which scientists believe
are one of the most important and accurate indicators of the speed
at which a person is ageing, The Independent reported.
Some studies have shown that individuals with shorter-than-
normal telomeres are likely to die younger than those with longer
telomeres.
The scientist who developed the test, Dr Maria Blasco of the
Spanish National Cancer Research Centre in Madrid, said: 'We know
that people who are born with shorter telomeres than normal also
have a shorter lifespan. But we don't know whether longer telomeres
are going to give you a longer lifespan.'
Dr Blasco said the test is simple, fast and very precise.
'We can detect very small differences in telomere length and it
is a very simple and fast technique where many samples can be
analysed at the same time. Most importantly, we are able to
determine the presence of dangerous telomeres - those that are very
short,' she said.
The over-the-counter test can show whether a person's
'biological age', as measured by the length of his telomeres, is
older or younger than his actual chronological age, The Independent
reported. The results also provide vital insights into a range of
age-related disorders, from cardiovascular disease to Alzheimer's
and cancer.
Medical researchers believe that telomere testing will become
widespread within the next five or 10 years, but there are already
some who question its value and whether there should be stronger
ethical controls over its wider use.
Critics believe that the new technology opens a Pandora's box,
whereby insurance companies may demand tests before offering
someone a policy, the Daily Mail said. Some are also worried that
such testing may be hijacked by organisations or individuals trying
to peddle fake elixirs of life, the report added.
But the test cannot yet predict the exact number of months and
years a person has to live.
Telomere research is considered to be one of the most exciting
areas in biomedical science. The three scientists who shared the
Nobel Prize in medicine last year are pioneers in the field, The
Independent said.
Dr Blasco's company, Life Length, is not the only company
selling telomere tests but is the only one gearing up for over-
the-counter sales, according to Professor Jerry Shay of the
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre.
Asked why the public would be interested in taking a telomere
test, Prof Shay said: 'I think people are just basically curious
about their own mortality.'
