MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today marks the launch of TeloYears, a new genetic test that reveals the cellular age encoded in a person’s DNA. Now available from the company founded by the winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine, TeloYears measures the length of one’s telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that tend to shorten and fray with age.
A simple yet comprehensive indicator of overall cellular wellness, TeloYears lets consumers go beyond counting how many birthdays have passed to understanding how well they’re aging. It does this by analyzing the length of their telomeres, which is a uniquely insightful measure of the capacity the cells have left to reproduce and thrive.
“We are excited to launch our new TeloYears genetic test, especially for those who want to know how well they’re aging at the cellular level of their DNA,” said Jason Shelton, CEO of Telomere Diagnostics. “We live in a genetic information age that is intersecting with the growing consumer fitness and health tracking market. TeloYears was designed to be a simple-to-take, easy-to-understand and affordable way to reveal actionable and inspiring self-knowledge that contributes to a healthy, active lifestyle.”
The company's principal shareholder, Dr. Christian Pradeyrol added: "Our launch of TeloYears achieves an important milestone toward our mission to inspire personal improvement in overall wellness by making routine telomere length testing broadly accessible."
The TeloYears test costs $89 and is available via https://www.teloyears.com. After an order is placed, a test kit is mailed directly to a customer’s doorstep. It includes everything needed to collect just one tiny drop of blood from a finger at home and return the sample to the company’s CLIA-certified laboratory. In two to three weeks, a TeloYears test report arrives that reveals the customer’s:
- Average telomere length and how it compares (on a percentile basis) to others the same age and gender.
- Age in TeloYears, which is calculated as the actual age of a typical man or woman whose telomere length is similar. One’s age in TeloYears can be older or younger than their actual age.
- TeloYears results over time by highlighting the difference in actual age and age in TeloYears each time a test is submitted.
About TeloYears
TeloYears is a simple genetic test that reveals the cellular age encoded in people’s DNA so they can know how well they’re aging. Using just one drop of blood from a finger, consumers can discover their age in TeloYears, which can be older or younger than their actual age.
Knowing one’s age in TeloYears is important because it is a simple yet comprehensive indicator of overall cellular wellness. Years of clinical data support the link between telomeres and the aging process, and many studies have been published on the role of telomere length in numerous age-related diseases. A key advantage of telomere length is that it can change over time, unlike other parts of your DNA. So TeloYears can be more actionable than other genetic tests. TeloYears results can be used to set a baseline, then improve and track lifestyle choices including diet, exercise or stress management. The self-knowledge gained from TeloYears can be powerful motivation to achieve healthy aging and for some an affirmation of an already active lifestyle.
Telomere Science in Space: The NASA Twins Study
The ongoing NASA Twins Study evidences scientific interest in telomere length as a biomarker of healthy aging. It is the first such study to compare cellular profiles of identical twin astronauts: Captains Scott Kelly in space and Mark Kelly on Earth. The experiment “Differential Effects on Telomeres and Telomerase in Twin Astronauts Associated with Spaceflight,” will assess changes in telomere length and shortening rate “to provide a deeper understanding of an informative biomarker of aging and age-related pathologies that captures the interplay between genetics and lifestyle.1”
About Telomere Diagnostics
Telomere Diagnostics, Inc. is a privately held molecular testing company founded in 2010 by a group of four scientists including Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2009 for her pioneering work in telomere biology. Its lab in Silicon Valley, California, is regulated under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) as qualified to perform high complexity clinical testing. There, the company measures parts of chromosomes called telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of DNA strands that tend to shorten and fray with age. Telomere Diagnostics uses its own proprietary quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay, which is the world’s leading method of measuring Average Telomere Length (ATL). Telomere Diagnostics’ principal shareholder is Pradeyrol Développement, a family office based in Paris, France. Beyond TeloYears, the company is actively developing other potential uses of ATL to address unmet clinical needs in cardiovascular disease, oncology, and reproductive health.
To learn more about the TeloYears genetic test, please visit https://www.teloyears.com.
The TeloYears test is not intended for screening, diagnosing, treating or preventing diseases or medical conditions. The test is available for individuals between the ages of 20 to 80 within the United States, except for the state of New York.
The information provided by the TeloYears test should not be used to replace medically appropriate screening tests recommended based upon actual age or other risk factors, nor should the information be used to make decisions about diagnosis or treatment of diseases or medical conditions. The Telomere Diagnostics lab is regulated under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) as qualified to perform high complexity clinical testing. The performance characteristics of this test were determined by Telomere Diagnostics. It has not been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Test reports are kept absolutely private according to our Privacy Policy and are available only in a fashion that maintains compliance with the HIPAA security rule, which regulates privacy and security of health information.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The TeloYears launch event featuring guest speaker astronaut Captain Mark Kelly takes place on October 20, 2016, in New York City. Please contact us for more information on our breakfast media briefing.
