British scientists have developed a “death test” which can predict the lifespan of an individual. It analyses endothelial cells measuring how the body will decline with age, giving a measure of the lifespan. The non-invasive procedure involves applying a painless laser pulse to the skin’s surface through a wristwatch-style device.
This comes months after researchers at the University of East Anglia revealed biological age and life expectancy could be predicted by measuring an individual’s DNA.
Telomeres are found at the end of chromosomes and act as protective caps to stop genes close to the end of the chromosome degenerating. 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.
Commercial telomere analysis of humans using a blood test is already present in the United States and Britain, but a telomere analysis over an entire lifetime in humans is very difficult.
Two Lancaster University physics professors, Aneta Stefanovska and Peter McClintock, developed the test with grants from medical charities. The Sunday Times said the scientists can calculate the length of time before death by measuring oscillations within endothelial cells. This can also be used to test for cancer and dementia.
The scientists expect a user-friendly version to be available for common testing by doctors within next the next three years.