Titanovo.com DNA Testing Review
Titanovo Company Review
Titanovo is one of the several companies that measures telomere length. In early 2015 this New York-based company began with an Indiegogo campaign seeking monetary and DNA donors. They now offer direct-to-consumer telomere length testing kits, as well as tools for academic researchers and clinical practitioners.
Telomeres are the protective end caps of DNA chromosomes. They prevent degradation of the chromosomes in a cell, but as cells divide their telomeres decrease in length. Shortening telomeres age the cell and once depleted result in the cell’s death. Telomerase is an enzyme that can prevent this degradation. The 2009 Nobel Prize was awarded to three scientists for their telomere research, and their findings have prompted further study of this biomarker. Results have shown that healthy lifestyle choices can positively affect telomere length by increasing telomerase activity. Other testing reveals the possibility of predicting age-related diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers.
The lifestyle and telomere length correlation is the primary enticement for the consumer. After receiving initial results an individual can adjust their behavior and retest to see how their telomere length is affected. Titanovo recommends retesting every three months to most accurately track changes over time. Titanovo’s newest development is their DNA Lifestyle Coach. This coach personalizes recommendations for exercise, nutrition and other wellness factors based on the user’s DNA. They are currently taking preorders and plan to begin shipping July 2016.
Telomere length testing has been offered for some time, but it was primarily marketed to medical practitioners and researchers. Titanovo dropped the price point by offering directly to home users, and Titanovo’s required saliva sample is a noninvasive alternative to the blood sample collected by many competitors. Kits are $150 (or $410 for three) and results are normally available 3-4 weeks after Titanovo’s CLIA certified labs receive the DNA sample and completed lifestyle survey. The consumer can see their full telomere analysis and compare their measured telomere length to others with similar and different habits. Titanovo is HIPAA compliant; any data they collect is only made public with authorization from the individual and remains anonymous.
Titanovo is not the cheapest telomere length test on the market, but they are competitively priced and use the noninvasive cheek swab. They believe the varying cell types (both saliva leukocytes and buccal cells) attained with this collection method provide greater diversity in the sample. There is still work to be done, but initial research is positive, showing health and longevity are closely tied to telomere length. Telomere length may prove to be a valuable diagnostic tool one-day enabling physicians to identify diseases in the earliest stages. On a personal level, cellular evidence of biological age could motivate healthy lifestyle choices. As more people participate in Titanovo’s efforts the data pool grows and researchers can form a clearer picture. There are those that remain skeptical despite the potential. Some studies have shown conflicting results, and variations exist due to ethnicity and gender. Others argue that an individual can much more easily monitor weight and endurance among other things to determine their overall health.
Read more at https://titanovo.com/