Telomere Test
See how the protective tips on your chromosomes compare with people your age.
- Sample
- One small tube, no fasting
- Results
- About 16 business days
- Report
- Two results and an age chart
For personal testing
Telomere testing is temporarily paused for an equipment upgrade.
Financing options available through
Not available for direct purchase in CA, MD, MA, NJ, NY, PA or RI. SpectraCell does not test New York residents.
What the test measures
Telomeres are the protective tips at the ends of your chromosomes, like the plastic tips on shoelaces. They get a little shorter each time a cell divides. This test measures their average length in your white blood cells, then ranks it among people your age.
Longer than 73 of every 100people aged 51
On the report
- Length
- 8.10 kbabout 8,100 DNA letters
- Percentile
- 73rdfor age 51
- Age chart
- Green boxabove the average line
Drag the age. Telomeres tend to be shorter in older people, so the same 8.10 kb ranks higher in older age groups.
Illustration based on the sample report (age 51, 8.10 kb, 73rd percentile). The average line is traced from its chart; the dots aren't SpectraCell's reference data.
What happens to your blood sample
We take the DNA out of your white blood cells and measure how much telomere DNA it holds. Then we turn that into an average length and rank it among people your age.
Watch the overview video- 1
One small blue-top tube of blood is drawn. You don't need to fast. It's shipped overnight to our lab in Houston.
- 2
We take the DNA out of your white blood cells.
- 3
A machine copies the telomere DNA and a reference gene again and again, and measures how much of each builds up.
- 4
We turn that into an average telomere length and rank it among people your age.
Method details for providers
Genomic DNA is extracted from nucleated white blood cells in a whole-blood sample (blue-top sodium citrate tube). Average telomere length is measured by quantitative PCR as the ratio of telomere repeat copy number to a single-copy gene (T/S ratio) and reported in kilobases. The result is an average across all white blood cells and chromosomes; it does not give telomere length for specific cell types or for the shortest telomeres.
The percentile compares the result with SpectraCell's reference data (about 15,000 people, mostly in North America) for the same age group. qPCR has inherent variability, so small changes over time may not be detected reliably; confirm trends with repeated measurements. This laboratory developed test gives information as part of a broader health assessment and does not diagnose disease.
Your age and your telomere length answer different questions
Everyone's telomeres get shorter over the years, but people start with different lengths and lose them at different rates. Two people born the same year can have very different results. This test shows where you sit among people your age.
Your age
How many years have you lived?
Counts the years
It's the same for everyone born in the same year.
50 years
50 years
Telomere Test
How long are your telomeres for your age?
Measures your telomeres
It measures telomere length in your white blood cells and ranks it among people your age.
Longer than 80 of every 100 people aged 50
Above the lineLonger than 30 of every 100 people aged 50
Below the lineThe two people are an illustration, not real patient data.
Common reasons people test
Select a situation to see how the test fits in. Whichever you choose, the report is the same: your length and your rank for your age.
Tap a situation to see how the test fits in.
How the test fits in
You want to know how your telomeres compare with people your age
- Average telomere length
- Percentile for your age
One test shows where you sit today: a length, and a rank among people your age.
How the test fits in
You want a starting point to compare with later
- Today's result
- A later result
Telomeres change slowly, so a second test some years later shows which way your result is moving. One result on its own is a snapshot, not a speed.
How the test fits in
You're looking at your nutrition as well
- Telomere length
- 31 nutrients (Micronutrient Test)
AgeNexus adds the Micronutrient Test, so one blood draw covers both.
How the test fits in
Your provider is looking at aging from several angles
- Your telomere result
- Health history
- Habits
- Other tests
Your result is one piece. Your provider weighs it with your health history, habits and other tests.
This test doesn't diagnose or treat any condition. Review your results with a healthcare provider.
From order to results
One small tube of blood, no fasting, shipped back the same day. Results in about 16 business days.
- Step 1
Order your kit
It comes with a collection tube, return packaging and a prepaid FedEx Priority Overnight label. Before you order, check that you can get a blood draw near you.
- Step 2
Get your blood drawn
No fasting needed. A draw site, clinic or mobile phlebotomist fills one blue-top tube, Monday to Friday, but not on or the day before a federal holiday.
Find a draw site - Step 3
Ship it the same day
Seal the tube in the silver envelope. Put it in the FedEx Clinical Pak with your requisition form, and hand it to FedEx staff before the day's cut-off.
- Step 4
Get your results
About 16 business days after the lab receives your sample. Review them with your healthcare provider.
The sample report uses a placeholder patient, aged 51.
Your report, in two numbers
Your average telomere length, and your percentile among people your age.
A chart puts your result next to the average line for each age: a green box above the line, a red box below it. The report also explains what your result can and can't tell you.
It can show you
- Where your telomere length sits among people your age
- A starting point to compare with a later test
It can't tell you
- A biological age, or how long you'll live
- Whether you have or will get a disease
Common questions
Have another question? Call us at (800) 227-5227, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm Central, or send us a message.
Do I need to fast?
No. You can eat and drink as usual before your blood draw.
Will my report tell me my biological age?
No. It shows your telomere length and how it ranks among people your age. Telomere length is only one part of how a body ages, so we don't turn it into an age.
Does a result above the line mean I'm healthy?
Not on its own. Above the line means your telomeres are longer than average for your age. It doesn't promise protection from disease, and a result below the line doesn't mean you're sick. Your provider looks at it with the rest of your health.
Can I change my telomere length?
Telomeres get shorter with age for everyone, and much of your length comes from your genes. Studies link habits like not smoking and staying active with longer telomeres on average, but that doesn't mean a habit will lengthen yours. Your provider can help you decide what's worth doing.
How often should I retest?
Telomeres change slowly, and small changes are hard to measure, so testing again within a few months tells you little. Your provider can help you decide when. Most people wait at least a year.
Why a blood test and not a cheek swab?
Most research on telomere length uses white blood cells from a blood sample, and so does this test. In the same person, cheek cells can give quite different results.
Is this a genetic test?
Not in the usual sense. It measures how long the telomeres at the ends of your chromosomes are. It doesn't read your genes or look for gene variants, as the MTHFR test does.
Why might my result differ from another lab's?
Labs measure telomeres in different ways and compare results with different groups of people, so numbers from two labs can't be compared directly.
What if my sample can't be tested?
Sometimes a sample can't be tested, for example when it's delayed in shipping. If this happens, you can contact us about a new blood draw or a refund.
What happens after I get my results?
Share them with your healthcare provider. If you don't have one, we can help you find a provider near you who uses our tests.
Can I order if I live in New York?
No. SpectraCell doesn't test New York residents. You also can't buy the test directly in CA, MD, MA, NJ, PA or RI.
See how the protective tips on your chromosomes compare with people your age.
Not available for direct purchase in CA, MD, MA, NJ, NY, PA or RI.
How Can We Help?
Have Questions? Need assistance?
If you require immediate assistance, during normal business hours Monday thru Friday 8am-6pm CST, you may either utilize our Live Agent Chat or call us at (800) 227-LABS.
After hours, please contact us by filling out and submitting the form,
we will contact you the next business day.