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Scientists have warned people today not to pay for controversial tests that claim to predict exactly how many years you have left to live.
Dana White, president of the UFC mixed martial arts league, made headlines last week when he said he had only 10 years left.
He is one of a growing number of wealthy Americans paying for genetic tests that can cost hundreds.
They claim to work by measuring telomeres, structures on the ends of chromosomes that shorten as people age.
Studies suggest that people with shorter telomeres in their white blood cells are more likely to develop diseases such as cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
The tests are done exclusively using blood tests and a swab of the inside of a person’s cheek.
Mr White, who is estimated to have a net worth of $500 million, claimed he told him he had 10.4 years to go, which required him to embark on a life-changing diet and exercise program.
dr. Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at NYU Langone Health, says it’s irresponsible to give a time as specific as 10.4 years, since no one can predict the future so accurately.
While these kinds of results can cause a sickening itch that some have, they are not reliable for people who are not older or suffer from a serious chronic condition.
dr. Hank Greely, a genetics and neuroethics expert at Stanford University, compared these tests to palmistry and says they are “almost certainly” inaccurate.
Dana White (pictured) said he had undergone a genetic test, offered by 10x Health System, who said he had 10.4 years to live with his current health
The 10x Health System website now prominently features Mr White, it’s the marketing of his gene tests
10x Health System Charges $600 For Its Genetic Test
Mr White, 53, shared his story The Action Junkeez Podcast published on Sept 20.
He said he’s “damn obsessed” with figuring out the exact month he’s on track to die.
The test found that he had significantly high triglyceride levels, which put him at high risk for a heart attack, stroke or pancreatic problems later in life.
These are fats that are stored in the blood when someone consumes too many calories.
After the results came back, White embarked on a life-lengthening program — and lost 30 pounds as a result.
The 10x Health System website now features Mr White prominently at the top of the website’s homepage, next to the text ‘GET THE SAME GENE TEST DANA WHITE TOOK’.
It names its gene testing as, “Revolutionary genetic testing allows you to discover exactly how to optimize your body so that you can build custom solutions based on your DNA.”
Both Dr. Caplan and Dr. Greely questioned predictions as specific as Mr. White’s.
“To me, the biggest ethical problem with the DNA test is the same as the ethical problem with palmistry or other divination: it almost certainly doesn’t work,” explained Dr. Greely out to DailyMail.com.
‘At least, not so well. The DNA tests can work in some rare circumstances, such as when someone has a strong genetic risk for a deadly disease, such as Huntington’s disease, which usually strikes at a certain age. But those conditions are rare.’
He says tests can give probabilities about how likely a person is to reach a certain milestone — such as their chance of living to be 70 years old — but not much beyond that.
These kinds of tests should still be reserved mainly for the elderly, he says.
“Basically, unless very convincing evidence to the contrary is shown, I strongly suspect that the DNA test is worthless,” continued Dr. Greely.
In particular, he questions 10x Health System.
After viewing the company’s website, he wrote to DailyMail.com: ‘I see NO reason to believe this. [On the other hand]as long as people don’t take it seriously, it’s no more unethical than a bunch of stupid things we let people do.
“But that’s a big caveat — ‘as long as people don’t take it seriously.”‘
dr. Hank Greely (left), a genetics and neuroethics expert at Stanford University, said there’s no reason to believe what the 10x Health System’s genetic test can find. dr. Arthur Caplan (right) notes that insurance companies spend a lot of money predicting how long their customers will live when determining premiums and other rates
10x Health System did not respond to a request from DailyMail.com for comment.
dr. Caplan agrees that any test that tries to predict how long someone may live should provide answers based on probability, rather than certainty.
He notes that insurers are already doing a form of this with the periodic assessments they perform on subscribers.
They do this using eight, family history, and whether a person suffers from chronic conditions such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure — not using Pap smears to make exact estimates of how long a person has left to live.
For a healthy, young person who does not suffer from a chronic illness, Dr. Caplan doesn’t get into how these tests can give specific ranges of life.
He also says that those offering the test should also be willing to offer people help after they receive their results – which Mr White did receive from 10x Health System.
Whether it be helping to make lifestyle changes to extend longevity, or providing mental health support to a person for what can be a shocking revelation.