The generation of personal data clouds or maps including key dimensions of individual health such as:
- Advanced biomarkers
- Functional testing for cardiac, vascular and neurological health
- Genomics
- Microbiomics
- Metabolomics
- Nutrigenomics
- Pharmacogenomics
- Proteomics
- Activity, lifestyle and quality of life (QOL) data and validated disease-specific data
Genetic data is fixed but all other kinds of data are constantly changing with age, stress, and other circumstances.
By using all your personalized data, we will create a HEALTH MAP for you and then create treatment plans that use the best of all available therapies, including advanced reapairative, anti-inflammatory, and non-invasive strategies. This approach produces an actionable and trackable Longevity road map for you and your quality of life.
What Are Telomeres?
Our bodies are made up of systems that are made up of organs that are made up of billions of cells. As we age, our cells age and although we cannot slow, stop or turn back time, it may be possible to slow cellular aging, or slow the shortening of telomeres.
What are Telomeres?
Telomeres are protective proteins located at the ends of chromosomes and serve to promote general chromosomal stability and aid in DNA replication. Telomeres are further protected by the enzyme, Telomerase, which acts to minimize telomere shortening. Since telomere shortening is a normal process during cell division the length and rate of shortening indicates cell age.
Researchers have known for over two decades that telomeres shorten with age, but emerging studies are showing associations among lifestyles, various diseases and cancer.
Lifestyle choices including smoking cigarettes, physical inactivity, poor diet and stress have all been associated with decreased telomere length. It is widely accepted that tobacco has negative health consequences, most notably, lung cancer. Furthermore, smoking one pack per day for 40 years is equivalent to losing to 7.4 years of life due to the impact on telomeres. High body mass index (BMI) can be an indicator of obesity, which significantly correlates with oxidative stress and shortened telomere length. In fact, the loss of telomeres in obese individuals was calculated to be roughly 8.8 years. In 2004, biochemist and Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn became the first to demonstrate that psychological stress can shorten telomeres. Since then many studies have suggested that experiences of traumatic and chronic stress are related to telomere shortening.
Shortening of telomeres has also been linked with numerous diseases. Multiple studies in the last 20 years have shown a link between shortened telomeres with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Coronary artery disease is associated with shortened telomere length and that individuals have shortened telomeres have a three-fold higher risk to develop a heart attack. Telomere shortening has also been associated with chronic kidney disease, psychological stress, high blood pressure and others.
Several studies have shown that shortened telomeres are a significant risk factor for developing various types of cancer. Bladder, head and neck, lung and colon cancer have all been repeatedly correlated with significantly shortened telomeres. Furthermore, degraded telomerase has been documented to exhibit pathophysiological states related to cancer and aging.
As poor lifestyle decisions can shorten telomeres, healthy life style decisions can protect telomeres and decrease cellular aging.
In 2008, Dean Ornish, et al., published a pilot study to assess the effect of a 3 month intensive lifestyle change on telomerase activity in patients with low risk prostate cancer. Their findings suggest that lifestyle changes including nutrition, natural supplements and stress management were significantly associated with increased telomerase activity and decreased psychological stress.
Proper nutrition is imperative for general health as well as for protecting telomeres. A diet containing antioxidants including omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin E, vitamin C and beta-carotene has been associated with longer telomeres due to their protective effects on telomerase.
In 2009, exercise was shown to increase telomerase activity and reduce telomere shortening, presumably by reducing oxidative stress.
Although we cannot slow, stop or turn back time, it may be possible to slow cellular aging, reduce risk of cancer and various diseases by making healthy lifestyle changes such as consuming a well-balanced, Mediterranean-like diet, engaging in frequent exercise, reducing stress, cessation of smoking and weight loss.
