Miss Mini...thanks so much for that link. They accept blood from Life Labs Canada, right down the street from me. I'm half scared to find out the length of mine after hearing Dr. Nancy S.'s experience (finding out that hers were very short) but I'm going for it.
Great. Don't worry if they're short there's lots you can do to lengthen them.
from Spectracel website:
1. Consumption of 10 servings of fresh and relatively uncooked fruits and vegetables, mixed fiber, monounsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, cold water fish, and high quality vegetable proteins will help preserve telomere length.
In addition, it is advised to reduce total daily caloric intake and implement an exercise program. Fasting for 12 hours each night at least 4 days per week is recommended.
2.One should achieve ideal body weight and body composition with low body fat (less than 22 % for women and less than 16 % for men). Decreasing visceral fat is very important.
Regular aerobic and resistance exercise for at least one hour per day, sleeping for at least 8 hours per night, stress reduction, discontinuation of all tobacco products are strongly recommended.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy may decrease the rate of telomere loss.
3.Recent evidence suggests that a high quality and balanced multivitamin will also help maintain telomere length. Specifically, studies have linked longer telomeres with levels of vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids
and the antioxidant resveratrol. In addition, homocysteine levels have been inversely associated with telomere length, suggesting that reducing homocysteine levels via folate and vitamin B supplementation may decrease the rate
of telomere loss. Similarly, conditions such as cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis and even dementia affect telomere length. Correcting subclinical nutritional deficiencies that may
contribute to such diseases is crucial for telomere maintenance.
4. What pharmacologic treatments are known to slow telomere aging?
- Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI)
- Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB)
- Renin Inhibitors
- Statins
- Possibly Calcium channel blockers
- Possibly Serum aldosterone receptor antagonists
- Possibly metformin
- Aspirin
- Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
5. Control all known coronary heart disease risk factors to optimal levels
- Reduce LDL cholesterol to about 70 mg %, decrease
- LDL particle number and increase LDL particle size.
- Reduce oxidized LDL.
- Increase HDL to over 40 mg % in men and over 50 mg % in women and increase HDL 2 subfraction. Reduce inflammatory HDL and increase protective HDL.
- Reduce fasting blood glucose to less than 90 mg % and 2 hour post prandial or 2 hour GTT to less than 110 mg %. Keep Hemoglobin A1C to about 5.0% and keep insulin levels low.
- Reduce blood pressure to about 120/ 80 mm Hg
- Reduce homocysteine to less than 8 um/L
- Reduce HS-CRP to less than 1.0
- Maintain ideal body weight and composition.
- Stop smoking.
- Treat insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
6.Some clinicians have recommended reducing all known coronary risk factors, inflammation, oxidative stress, ADMA levels and angiotensin II levels or its action.
At the same time, therapy should increase nitric oxide levels and nitric oxide bioavailability, increase arginine, increase endothelial progenitor cells, improve mitochondrial
function and increase oxidative defenses. In addition, one should optimize hormone levels, exercise, sleep, nutrition and nutritional supplements.
Fasting and caloric restriction should be part of the regimen as well.