'DNA measurement can predict how long you will live' - Indian Express
Researchers have claimed that biological age and life expectancy of a person can be predicted by measuring an individual's DNA.
Scientists at the University of East Anglia studied the length of chromosome caps - known as 'telomeres' - in a 320-strong wild population of Seychelles Warblers on a small isolated island.
"We saw that telomere length is a better indicator of life expectancy than chronological age - so by measuring telomere length we have a way of estimating the biological age of an individual - how much of its life it has used up," Lead researcher, Dr David S Richardson said.
The research shows that individuals differ radically in how quickly their telomeres shorten with age, and that having shorter telomeres at any age is associated with an increased risk of death.
Telomere length is a better indicator of future life-expectancy than actual age and may, therefore, be an indicator of biological age.
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Tuesday, November 20, 2012
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