"We are living through one of the greatest medical revolutions in human health, with medical wearables, home testing, and the ability to measure and control one's biological age," says Sinclair. "With over $20B being invested into longevity research and development, 2022 is set to be a turning point that ushers in an age in which we have much more control over the human body and an understanding about which lifestyles have the most impact on our present and future health."
In our 2021 Wellness Trends, we discussed the rise of wearables with health micro-tracking featuressuch as skin temperature variation, pulse oximetry, blood oxygen sensors, body composition, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, and advanced sleep metrics. Suddenly, data previously only available in advanced medical facilities was now accessible to the publicall from the convenience of a small wearable device.
On the heels of the influx of new health trackers, in 2021, we saw companies go one step further to help get a better picture of an individual's overall health. We're talking about the at-home testing boom.
Perhaps a response to the rise of telemedicine, the interest in personalized health, or mounting emphasis on well-being and longevity as a wholewhatever the catalyst, there have never been more accessible, at-home ways to get a detailed breakdown of your health.
Take Viome, for example, a testing service that analyzes your blood and stool, then produces health insights, personalized food recommendations, and even targeted supplements for your unique biology.
"Viome is dedicated to creating a disease-free world where people can take control of their health from the comfort of their own homes," says Viome Founder and CEO Naveen Jain. "This year, they reached the outstanding goal of helping over 300,000 individuals improve their overall health through health insights and actionable nutrition recommendations." As Jain shares with mbg, just 10 years ago, a test that sequenced complete gene expression (mRNA) of a biological sample could cost over $10,000now, Viome offers it for $99.
What's more, the data collection goes beyond individual benefit and may have far-reaching impacts. "Viome has published clinical trial results that showed more than 30% improvements in depression, diabetes, IBS, and anxiety after four months with people using Viome food and supplement recommendations," says Jain. "Using this data, they have developed predictive biomarkers for over 30 chronic diseases including metabolic diseases, autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, mental health, and biological aging."
Of course, Viome is just one example of a company bringing advanced health testing to consumers' homes. Everlywell Health offers at-home blood tests for everything from metabolism to vitamin D and inflammation, to help capture a snapshot of various aspects of your health status.
Earlier this year, Lumen hit the market as the first handheld, portable device to accurately measure metabolism, using just your breathallowing consumers to better optimize blood sugar levels, improve metabolic flexibility, and help stave off metabolic disease.
Levelsa technology that gives you real-time biometric feedback about how your body reacts to food and exercise, through continuous glucose monitoringhas skyrocketed in popularity, with a current waitlist of over 100,000 people.
Sinclair personally uses InsideTracker, a blood test that looks at 43 biomarkers to measure health. He's also developed a test that measures biological age and provides recommendations. (You can sign up here to be one of the first to try it.)
All of that is just the tip of the iceberg. Just ask Sergey Young, a longevity expert and author of The Science and Technology of Growing Young, who started the Longevity Vision Fund three years ago. The fund currently works with 200-plus companies a year, to "accelerate longevity breakthroughs and to make them more accessible and affordable to everyone," he shares with mbg. His goal? "Extend healthy lifespans of one billion people."
Read more:
Longevity Experts Predict These At-Home Resources Will Add Years To Your Life - mindbodygreen.com
Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith
