Chromosomes with Telomeres

What if it was possible to measure the length of a person’s chromosomes and use that calculation to infer life expectancy and health based on behavior?  At least two companies, “Life Length” (Madrid, Spain) and “Telome Health” (Menlo Park, CA) are proceeding to market with that proposition based on studies which show, among other things, that people who exercise have longer telomeres on the tips of their chromosomes, while those who live with high stress have shorter telomeres.  Soon both companies will have test kits for research on aging and disease, and envision kits for physicians’ practices eventually. Still, like genomic testing, questions remain about interpreting karyotypes.     MORE

Image Credit:  Photo Researchers, Inc and Scientific American