Blood Test Predicts our Time of Death

Coming to the UK soon is a blood test that will tell Brits their best before dates. And before long, we will all be able to know when we are destined for our date with death or, more mundanely, date of death! The blood test that makes the prediction measures something called telomeres. (Telomeres are a DNA structure that controls the longevity of dividing cells.) The specific test developed by the Spanish determines the speed that we are aging by the length of our telomere – the shorter it is, the more quickly we are aging. Our physical age is not necessarily the same as our chronological one; our blood might reveal that our bodies have matured faster than we would have liked or, perhaps, happily, it may reveal our bodies are more youthful than our years! The test reveals our physical age and will cost just over $700 – and there is bound to be a market for it.

The only reason that it's not already available in the US is because the Spanish group that developed the test is still seeking approval in countries in both Europe and North America. However, the news that the test is available has already sparked lively debate prior to its arrival.

Not everyone greets new discoveries in medicine with applause, and this is one of those advances that is not without its critics. There are a number of ethical questions. For instance, what about insurance companies? If they either knew of our results or were able to insist on having a test, both life and health premiums could be affected dramatically unless they are prohibited by legislation.

And the prediction of death at an early age might actually hasten the day if we are unfortunate enough to process this news through a pessimistic and fatalistic prism. We might decide to have those extra drinks, cigarettes or french fries because, well, “What the hell, I'm going to die early anyway.” Or the news might fill us with feelings of despondency and our days will be filled with gloom until our early graves.

On the other hand, knowing the time of our approximate death will have many advantages in financial matters, for instance. I might decide I can forgo any financial planning and saving for my retirement if the test reveals I will probably die early, (although I might find it difficult to buy life insurance as a result of the test!)

Others have pointed out, the blood test might persuade some of us to make dramatic changes in our lifestyles in order to mitigate some of those factors that accounted for the results. A study published in 2008 in The Lancet showed that major lifestyle changes could prevent premature cell death and extend life.

Knowing our physiological age before a disease appears does give us a chance to adjust our lifestyles. And there is encouraging news, particularly as a result of a study of a number of men identified with a low-risk prostate cancer. After three months of learning techniques to deal with stress, proper diet, exercise and all those other well known but rarely practiced canards for healthy living, the researchers found that telomeres in the subjects had increased by 29% and their bad cholesterol had decreased! However, some could make the case that we should not need warnings of premature death to persuade us to live more healthy lifestyles.

Whether we take the test or not when it becomes available, it does seem that we have a real choice in deciding how long we will live. If we make all the healthy lifestyle decisions, we will live longer – possibly a great deal longer than if we do not. And this advise is a lot cheaper than 700 bucks!