If you’d like to estimate your telomere health, you can take the self-test here. You can also take a commercial company test to determine telomere length. But should you? You don’t need to have your own lungs biopsied in order to make the wise decision to stop smoking! Many of you would probably perform the same restorative activities in life whether you have a telomere test or not.
We wondered how people would react to learning the results of telomere tests. If a person learns he or she has short telomeres, for example, would that knowledge be depressing? So we tested volunteers and told them their results. Then we followed up to ask about their reactions. Most were neutral to positive, and none was very negative. But those who were short did experience some distressing thoughts about that in the ensuing months. Telomere testing is a personal decision. Only you can decide if knowing your length will benefit you. Imagine if you learn your telomeres are short—is that more motivating to you than upsetting? Learning that your telomeres are short is like seeing the “check engine” light on a dashboard; it’s usually just a sign that you need to take a closer look at your health and your habits and step up your efforts.
We’re often asked if we’ve had our own telomeres measured:
I (Liz) have, out of curiosity. My results were reassuringly good, but I always keep in mind that telomere length is a statistical indication of health, not an absolute predictor of the future.
I (Elissa) haven’t had my telomeres measured yet. I would rather not know definitively if my telomeres are short. I try to engage in the life practices good for telomeres on an AMAP (as much as possible) basis, given this busy life.
Telomere length trajectories over time will be more valuable than single checks. They tell us something unique about a cell’s potential to replicate that no one indicator can. However, they are just one marker. It is likely that algorithms including many biomarkers and health status variables will be more beneficial for personal use once they are better developed. When the measures have more predictive value for individuals and are easier to get repeatedly, I will be more interested in getting testing done.
As of this writing, only a few commercial companies offer telomere testing.
We do not have any knowledge about—or control over—the accuracy and reliability of telomere length measurements performed by these commercial entities. Because these companies change rapidly, we list the details on our book website. At this writing, testing costs anywhere from around $100 to $500.
A few caveats: Telomere testing is an unregulated business, so there is no government agency checking whether for-profit companies are using methods and values that are accurate, or whether what they tell you about your risks is accurate. It can be interesting to learn the results of a telomere test, but we caution everyone that telomeres do not necessarily predict the future. Again, it’s like smoking. Smoking does not guarantee that you’ll get a lung disease, and not smoking does not guarantee that you will stay free of disease. But the statistics on smoking are in, and the message is clear: the more you smoke, the greater your chances of getting emphysema, cancer, and other serious health problems. There are plenty of good reasons to quit—or better still, not to smoke at all. In the same way, the countless studies on the relationship between telomere length and human health and disease have given us the data we need to create guidelines for keeping your telomeres (and therefore you) healthier. You may enjoy knowing your telomere length, but you don’t need that information to prevent premature cellular aging.