Because reductions in telomere length occur in normal ageing, there is huge interest from the general public in treatments which might lengthen telomeres and therefore slow the normal ageing process.
Short telomeres are the underlying problem in dyskeratosis congenita, but telomere length is not routinely measured on the NHS. Private spas in London are offering telomere length measurements to the general public, along with lifestyle advice to maximise telomere length and increase healthy life expectancy. We at DC Action hope that interest from the general public will lead to better availability of testing for those potentially affected by DC. However, private spas and companies such as Life Length cannot substitute for the care and guidance of your own doctor.
Please note: If you have DC, your specialist may be able to arrange telomere length testing through Professor Inderjeet Dokal’s research project at Queen Mary, University of London.
Life Length, a Madrid-based company, will measure telomere lengths for a fee.