TeloYears Review
TeloYears is a simple genetic test launched by Telomere Diagnostics Inc. The company was founded in 2010 by four scientists, including Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, the winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine for pioneering work in the field of telomere biology.
Our TeloYears review will elaborate on measuring the cellular maturity encoded in our DNA and its relation to how well we’re aging. Besides determining genetic age, the commercially available telomere length test should also inspire growth and improvement in all fields of personal wellness.
How TeloYears Works
Measuring the length of your telomeres comes down to four simple steps:
- Information collection – Before you can order the testing kit, you’ll need to enter your contact and payment information and answer a couple of simple questions to ensure TeloYears is the right fit for you.
- Information review and placing your order – The provided information will then be reviewed by a highly-qualified doctor, who’ll also place the order for you. Telomere Diagnostics Inc. uses an independent team of physicians, all authorized to order your genetic test. The at-home sample collection kit will then arrive at your address within one week.
- Sample collection – The TeloYears test is done by processing a blood sample. You’ll need to collect one drop of your blood, following the provided instructions, and send it back via a pre-paid envelope.
- Results – Once complete, your results will be sent to you via e-mail, 3-4 weeks after the sample reaches the lab.
The TeloYears at-home testing kit includes the following elements:
- Pink Finger Stick lancet
- 1-drop blood collection strip
- Yellow-top transport tube
- Alcohol wipe
- Gauze pad
- Adhesive bandage
- Pre-paid mailing envelope
The actual testing protocol includes measuring telomere length in your DNA via the quantified polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), the most accurate and scientifically referenced method in the field.
Telomeres shorten at different rates during our lifespan, affected by lifestyle, disease, environmental influences, and a slew of other factors. Dr. Blackburn thus recommends repeating the test every 6 to 12 months to ensure the proper monitoring of your DNA wellness.
Why Choose TeloYears
TeloYears is one the few companies that can draw a direct line between your actual and genetic age, helping you make better lifestyle choices and improve your health.
Here are some additional reasons to consider doing a DNA test with this DNA testing provider:
- Company led by the 2009 Nobel Prize laureate
- Own highly-certified testing laboratory
- Reliable test with detailed and comprehensive results
- Proprietary and unique testing methods
- Bonus Blueprint for Aging Well
- Strict privacy policy
- High-level information security
- Budget-friendly price
- Rich knowledge base and access to numerous scientific publications in the field
- Involvement in several high-impact scientific studies (including partnerships with National Cancer Institute, The University of Arizona, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Mississippi, USA Department of Veterans Affairs, National Institutes of Health, NASA, and others)
- Gift cards available
Test
The TeloYears DNA test costs 89$ plus S&H costs. There is also an option to purchase its “Now and Later” pack, including two tests, saving you 20$. The first test is used to determine your TeloYears baseline age and the second one monitors the results of your life improvement during the period of 6 or 12 months. The test can also be ordered as a gift.
The test processes a single drop of your blood for both convenience and reliability. A single blood drop contains more than 50k cells, which ensures perfect test accuracy. That’s why TeloYears doesn’t use saliva or buccal swabs.
The procedure analyzes your DNA located in the white blood cells (leukocytes). TeloYears does that by using its proprietary and unique method named the “Cawthon qPCR assay.” The science behind the method is rather perplexing, but it comes down to exploiting specific telomere primers to quantify the telomeric signal ratio, relative to the solitary copy of the gene signal. The T/S ratio will reflect the ATL (average telomere length) in your circulating blood.
Telomere Diagnostics Inc. has developed its proprietary ways of tackling the delicate nature of the qPCR telomere length assay regarding the collection of the sample, its storage, preparation for processing, and assay conditions. It applies a multitude of normalization procedures and standards aimed at ensuring the ultimate accuracy and precision of the assay. The result is a very reliable measurement, with a variability coefficient between 2-3 percent.
Lastly, your ATL is entered into a mathematical formula derived by the company, enabling its staff to calculate your TeloYears age. This calculation reflects the actual age of men and women with telomere length similar to yours.
TeloYears has also recently added three new testing options to its portfolio:
- Advanced Ancestry (99$ + S&H) – This is also an at-home DNA test designed to tell you more about your ancestry percentages. The final report is usually generated within 6-8 weeks and delivered to you electronically. The results cover 62 world regions and also provide you with the composition of your ethnicity at the chromosome level. The test pays special attention to potential East Asian and Jewish ancestry.
- Teloyear + Advanced Ancestry (169$ + S&H) – Apart from the regular benefits, this bundle will speed up your TeloYears report generation. It usually takes 3-4 weeks to generate your report, but you’ll receive it in 1-2 weeks with this test. The turnaround time for Advanced Ancestry results remains the same. TeloYears report will be delivered to you by mail and your ancestry percentages will be delivered electronically.
- TeloYears + TealoCoach (199$; free shipping) – This option comes with an exclusive one-on-one conversation with one of the company’s certified TeloCoaches. You’ll be able to go through your results together, receive useful advice, and formulate an action plan for the future. You also get priority processing in 1-2 weeks.
Understanding The Results
TeloYears results will allow you to determine your current cellular age and monitor the overall vitality of your cells. The report itself includes:
- Your ATL (average telomere length) and a comparative view of the ATL of other people of your age and gender.
- Your specific age in TeloYears, which is based on the actual age of men or women with similar telomere length as yours.
- Tracking your results over time, which is especially useful for repeated testers.
Blueprint for Aging Well is a bonus which condenses decades of scientific research into a simple and tabulated resource. This insightful tool includes:
- A tool for self-assessment, which should raise your awareness of specific, actionable factors that affect your TeloYears age.
- Detailed explanations to help you understand how your lifestyle, inflammation, stress, and other factors influence telomere shortening.
- A suggested action plan based on your test results. The plan will offer recommendations regarding nutrition, sleep, stress, physical activity, and more, covering the range from novice to expert.
- A comprehensive view of telomere science applied to your case. Besides practical uses and known limitations, the role of telomeres in age-related diseases will also be explained.
Research
Telomere Diagnostics Inc. is a very active company in the scientific research department. It constantly works on improving our understanding of telomeres, their impact on our wellness, and all the factors that expedite their shortening process.
The most notable research projects include:
- The Department of Veteran Affairs supported a study performed on 468 US Military veterans, which focused on telomere shortening related to hostilities, especially difficulties with anger control.
- The National Institutes of Health supported a study performed on 586 healthy sisters age 35-74, which established a correlation between multivitamin use and longer telomeres.
NASA supported a study performed on more than 20 astronauts, which determined the impact of space travel on telomere length.Harvard University supported a studyperformed on 4,676 women nurses, which established the association between the Mediterranean diet and longer telomeres.- The U.S. Army supported a study performed on 650 special operations soldiers, which found a link between telomere shortening and depression, traumatic stress, and PTSD.
The University of California supported a study conducted on 5,309 US adults (age 20-59), which drew a causal relationship between consumption of sugar-sweetened sodas and telomere shortening.- Massachusetts General Hospital sponsored a study on 37 participants, showing that Loving-Kindness Meditation induces longer telomeres.
- The National Cancer Institute supported a study conducted on 4,780 women, resulting in findings that higher coffee consumption was associated with longer telomeres.
- The University of Arizona supported a study on 1,252 black and white adults in Tennessee, associating religious identity and religiosity with positive leukocyte telomere length.
- The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences supported a study on 2,280 US Military male veterans, associating pollution with shorter telomeres in men.
- The University of Mississippi sponsored a research on sedentary behavior associated with shorter telomere length. The study was performed on 6,405 adults (age 20-84).
Privacy And Security
Telomere Diagnostics Inc. has a very strict privacy policy and it applies it to both your contact/payment information and test results. They are kept absolutely private and never shared with anybody. The aforementioned information is only available to you and the doctor who ordered your test, which is mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy and security guidelines.
Information transmission is done solely through encrypted connections that use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) digital certificates. The said transmission also complies with Payment |Card Industry Data Security Standard.
Shipping And Handling
The TeloYears testing kit is sent via regular mail, using the US Postal Service. Biological specimens are routinely sent this way to their designated laboratories, so there shouldn’t be any problems with your DNA sample successfully arriving at its destination.
The shipment is limited to the US, with special caveats regarding New York and Maryland. Due to legal impediments, the test kit cannot be sent to the state of New York. Maryland residents, on the other hand, must fill out a special order form signed by a professional health care practitioner licensed to work in the state of Maryland. This form should be submitted alongside your blood sample.
Accepted payment plans include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, Apple Pay, Discover, and others.
Bottom Line
As with any product, we should pose the question why you would need a TeloYears test or why you would want to be aware of your genetic age in the first place.
Some of the potential answers might include:
- You’re determined to make some lifestyle improvements.
- You’ve decided to work on staying young as long as possible.
- You’re simply curious about the story behind your DNA signature.
- You want a reliable way of tracking and measuring your fitness performance.
- You’re familiar the importance of telomeres and want to use them as an overall wellness biomarker.
- You want to compare your results with family or friends.
- You need extra encouragement and help to bounce back from a major life event or significant amounts of stress. This is usually brought upon by illness, divorces or the loss of a loved one.
Whatever the motive (or motives) might be, Telomere Diagnostics is a reliable and professional company led by one of the world’s top experts in telomere science. Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn’s contribution to science was uncovering the role of telomeres and telomerase enzyme in chromosome protection. This is what got her the Nobel Prize. In our opinion, this is reason enough to give TeloYears a shot and strike that vital balance between your genetic and actual age
Terrible customer service.
Company sent an email saying “new sample collection kit is on its way to you now and should arrive shortly.” Two weeks have gone by and still no kit. Company has not replied to my three emails, nor have my phone calls been answered.
Have they gone out of business or just don’t bother with customer support?
Back when I first ordered the test, the company didn’t offer any ancestry kits. The genetic age thing was a true revelation and it really helped me put some things into perspective and get my priorities straight. I just did the ancestry test and am currently waiting for the results. The whole procedure is very easy to go through and the information you get are really worth it.
I started researching telomeres a couple of months ago and I found the whole science behind it quite fascinating. Honestly, I thought it was all a huge money-grabbing hoax before I “hit the books” but I can now see the logic behind it all. Needless to say my telomere length didn’t match my age and how could it with all the stress we’re going through every single day. I also got a blueprint that I should follow in order to get there though. Bottom line I’m following the recommendations and can’t wait to see my progress on the next test.
Don’t recommend. Bought advanced ancestry as a birthday gift (!). Was told it takes 6-8 weeks. After 6 weeks no follow up from the company. When I wrote to them, I was told in condescending tone that they notified me initially about 6-8 week processing time. Ok, after week 8 I have to follow up again (no communication from Teloyears!). Now I receive an email saying that their lab is too busy, and they don’t even tell me when the results will come (birthday gift, mind you!). Ok, after week 10 still nothing from them, and not even a courtesy email. So we lost patience and requested a refund. And the funniest thing is, they deducted $20 (!!) of shipment cost, when it was clearly their fault – why accepting so many orders if your lab cannot process them in the time that you guarantee? When I sent an inquiry, they simply ignored my email. Never again, and don’t recommend to others. There are so many companies these days who offer DNA testing, I’ll definitely go to someone else.
Incredibly accurate and useful. I warmly recommend regular testing, it can really help you understand what is happening inside your body and get on the right track.
Yay, finally got my results and man, were they worth the wait! They got it all right and I feel really motivated to follow the action plan. I think everyone who cares about their health should get tested.
This is all the fitness help I’ll ever need! I take the test every 6 months just to see if I’m improving or standing still.
Good service, but the results take too long for my taste
Great litle test and a lot to read if you want to know more about what you’re paying for.
The service was good and all but I’d like them to change it so I don’t have to draw blood for the test. I was always squeamish when it comes to blood and geting the sample was a true nightmare for me.