A matter of life and death

THERE were more than a few raised eyebrows – not to mention fluttering stomachs – when Spanish company Life Length announced it was offering the chance to look into the future.

While the company’s £435 blood test will not actually reveal when you are going to shuffle off this mortal coil, it will predict your biological age. And that can differ wildly from the one you celebrate each year.

You may think you’re a healthy 45-year-old, but your body could be screaming: “I’m 53 and counting.”

Billed as the most accurate test of biological age we have, the test offers anyone the chance to make a prediction about their future. But naturally, as the first of its kind available to the public, it has come under fire.

“There is a danger people will overestimate the power of these tests and think they’re being given a very specific date of death,” says Stephen Wilkinson, professor of bioethics at Keele University.

If a result indicated a shortened life expectancy, a person could panic themselves into an even earlier grave, he warns, while others might become complacent.

The test measures the length of the telomeres that cap our chromosomes and act like the genetic equivalent of an egg-timer. When the telomeres get worn out from cell division, our cells – and bodies – die.

These telomeres can indicate future health problems, too. If you’ve got short telomeres, you could be at risk from obesity and heart disease.

But as Dr Mark Atkinson, a medical doctor and expert on holistic health and wellbeing, says: “DNA does not determine how long we live.

‘‘It’s a combination of DNA and factors such as what we eat, our mental environment and our social relationships – and you can influence the rate at which your telomeres get shorter.

That process can be speeded up if we have a very stressful life.”

Yet he accepts that humanity’s quest for knowledge will inevitably draw many people to take the test, and suggests that those who are determined to do so should embrace the information it provides.

“It could be useful if knowing the answer empowers the person to make positive changes to their lifestyle,” he says.

“There is something called One Year to Live therapy, where people are told to start living life as though they have 12 months left. It can really improve wellbeing.”

But Atkinson insists he would rather spend his £435 on items of greater value, adding: “I would get a year’s membership in the gym, book a meditation course, go on holiday.”

ONE man who will not be taking the test is Paul Carr, author of The Upgrade: A Cautionary Tale Of A Life Without Reservations.

At 27, Carr decided he did not want to be chained to his rented flat and routine life in London.

Judging that he could live in hotels for the same cost as paying his landlord, the young man promptly sold his possessions and started to work his way around the world.

“I’ve never understood why people would plan their lives far into the future, given how many things can go wrong with the best-laid plans,” he says.

“All of the best things in my life have come from random encounters and spur-of-the-moment decisions. Likewise, every disappointment has come from concrete plans falling through.”

The good news is that whether your telomeres are short or long, it is possible to slow down the ageing process, say experts. It all comes down to reducing our levels of stress.

“A study has shown that women with very high levels of stress have telomeres shorter on average by the equivalent of at least one decade of additional ageing,” says Dr Atkinson, a speaker on anti-ageing. “If people start living life with greater balance, are able to manage their stress and focus on fulfilment and health and happiness, they needn’t worry about ageing.”

In 2009, Dr Elizabeth Blackburn, from the University of California in San Francisco, won the Nobel Prize for medicine for her part in discovering telomerase, the enzyme which repairs and lengthens telomeres.

She studied the impact of lifestyle changes on 30 men with low-risk prostate cancer over a three-month period. They were taught relaxation and breathing exercises, followed a strict low-calorie diet and a moderate exercise routine.

After three months, telomerase levels in the mens’ blood had increased by 29 per cent and bad cholesterol had decreased.

David Hamilton, scientist and author of How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body, certainly believes you can channel the power of the mind to counteract the ageing process.

“People with a positive attitude tend to live longer than those with a negative one, so try to tackle the situations in your life calmly rather than getting angry and stressed.”

􀁧 True Happiness: Your Complete Guide To Emotional Health by Dr Mark Atkinson is published by Piatkus, priced £14.99.

How to get the most out of today

FOLLOW these tips from Dr Mark Atkinson to help you relax and be in the present.

PRACTICE MINDFULNESS
To be mindful simply means to be alert with an attitude of acceptance and curiosity. When you are walking, eating or doing other daily rituals, notice, without judgment, what you see around you and then what you hear.

STOP BELIEVING EVERYTHING THAT YOU THINK
A simple way to disengage any stressful story that your head is making up is to notice the negative thought, then say it very slowly – leaving a few seconds’ gap between each word. Repeat two to three times.

WORK WITH YOUR EMOTIONS
Next time you have a uncomfortable emotion, rather than trying to control it, locate where the emotion is strongest in your body. Now imagine it’s just simply stuck energy wanting to flow. Tell it silently to release and you’ll feel more energised.

TAP INTO THE POWER OF GRATITUDE
Each day, think about two things you are grateful for and then two things you appreciate about yourself.

TAKE A BALANCED APPROACH
Take an honest look at how you live your life and make choices that will bring greater balance between being and doing, rest and activity, and between personal and social time.