Risks and limits of Longevity Check

A DNA-based 'Longevity Check' typically claims to estimate your biological age or lifespan. The reality is more sobering: most tested genes (e.g., FOXO3, SIRT1) have very small effect sizes on longevity and are vastly overshadowed by environment, diet, and lifestyle. Many markers come from GWAS with moderate evidence, but no single variant is clinically actionable. Independent validation is often lacking, and these tests are not reviewed by regulators like the FDA. A key risk is false reassurance: someone with a 'good' genetic profile might neglect exercise or healthy eating, potentially harming their health. Conversely, a 'bad' result can cause unnecessary anxiety or fatalism. Psychological side effects are real. In short, such checks may satisfy curiosity but do not provide reliable individual predictions or replace medical advice. The evidence is mostly marketing, not clinical practice.