For more news visit ☛ http://english.ntdtv.com<br />Follow us on Twitter ☛ http://twitter.com/NTDTelevision<br />Follow us on Facebook ☛ http://facebook.com/NTDTelevision<br /><br />A blood test that determines the length of telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that wear down as we get old, is now on sale to the public. The researchers who developed the test say it will allow people to get a sense of how fast they are aging. Opponents say the test is too simplistic and insist that telomere length is only one factor in the aging process.<br /><br />A new blood test developed in Spain, which measures chromosome tips known as telomeres, is now available to the public.<br /><br />Researchers who developed the test say it offers people the opportunity to find out how fast they are aging and clues on their overall health.<br /><br />Contrary to some media reports, the test does not determine how long a person has left to live.<br /><br />Maria Blasco, the scientist who developed the test, says that it allows scientists to measure a patient's biological age rather than their chronological age based on the length of their telomeres, with shorter, worn-out telomeres indicating an older biological age.<br /><br />Blasco, cofounder of "Life Length," is in charge of the molecular oncology program at Spain's National Cancer Research Center (NCIO)<br /><br />[Maria Blasco, "Life Length" Cofounder]:<br />"This is an indication of the degree of ageing of an organism, so it can be an estimate of the biological age of tissues and cells and it is also an estimate of the risk to develop a certain number of diseases that have already been described in the literature to be associated with having shorter telomeres than normal."<br /><br />Blasco says the presence of short telomeres can indicate how prone a person may be to falling ill with age-related disorders like Alzheimer's, for example.<br /><br />She believes the test will allow patients to act on the results and make lifestyle changes that contribute to a healthier life....
