Audio By Carbonatix
Spanish scientists have invented a blood test they say can tell you how much longer you have to live.
Life Length, the company behind the project, claims that the test will give people an idea of the speed at which they are ageing, and a general assessment about their state of health.
The 435-euro ($700) test, which will be available in Europe at the end of the year, measures the length of telomeres on a person's chromosomes, which are thought to be linked to longevity.
The test looks for high concentrations of short telomeres, which correlate with an increase in your biological age.
Colin Blakemore, professor of Neurobiology at Oxford University, said the test looked at "biological age", rather than chronological age, or the time since a person was born.
Short on science?
The test measures the length of telomeres on DNA in white blood cells in the plasma.
White blood cells are involved in immune defence, and increased production during sickness may skew the reading of the test.
The test also fails to look at other measures that can indicate the overall health of a person.
"[It] won't even measure reliably the true telomere length [of cells] of the tissue of the body," said Blakemore.
Critics also claim the test may lead to healthcare discrimination and apprehension about a person's health.
"I'm not convinced of it's reliability or ethical implications," he added.
Source: Aljazeera
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Iceland to propose whaling ban, leaving Norway and Japan isolated
5 minutes -
‘Significant casualties’ after fire on cargo ship in eastern China
11 minutes -
Ghana must build a national reading culture to drive knowledge economy—Educationist
11 minutes -
When fifty-five thousand children fail, who else has failed ?
13 minutes -
Russian drone incursion delays Zelensky flight
13 minutes -
MMDAs must take responsibility for sanitation – Mahama Ayariga
15 minutes -
Not all hypertension medicines cause erectile dysfunction – Kwame Sarpong Asiedu
16 minutes -
Kofi Tonto accuses NDC government of failing to deliver promised education reset
22 minutes -
Ghana must actively screen healthy people for hypertension and chronic disease -CDD
23 minutes -
Nkoranza 24-hour economy market project 5% complete as minister threatens contract termination
24 minutes -
Ghanaians urged to check blood pressure regularly to detect hypertension early
25 minutes -
Assin Fosu family races to save abducted 30-year-old after ransom demand rises to GH¢49,500
26 minutes -
I chose local government because it needs fixing – Mahama Ayariga
27 minutes -
Transport sector reforms position Ghana for integrated economic growth — Nikpe
30 minutes -
Apple’s new boss starts with big gamble on ÂŁ1,999 first folding iPhone
32 minutes