Several companies are commercializing tests for telomere length such as this one here. I understand the basic mechanism for why telomeres shorten during DNA replication, but how good is the evidence that telomere length is a reliable indicator of healthspan/lifespan?
Answer
I disagree with Ctina. So many factors go into determining loss rate, activity of telomerase, gene conversion or unequal exchange at chromosome ends, etc to ever say that length is a function of age. There is far more variation between individuals and between cells within an individual than aging ever shows. Here is one study:
Das B, Saini D, Seshadri M. Telomere length in human adults and high level natural background radiation. PLoS One. 2009 Dec 23;4(12):e8440.
however I've seen similar studies published elsewhere. Telomere length as diagnostic for age is very poor at best. Here's an article that gives a formula, but acknowledges the R2 is 0.04, which is useless: http://preview.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18378481
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