Additional Coverage:
- My father died of cancer at 72. A $12,000 longevity exam at a Silicon Valley clinic found both good and bad news in my DNA. (businessinsider.com)
After losing my father to pancreatic cancer last year, I found myself grappling with a question many avoid while healthy: how much of my future is predetermined by my biology? To explore this, I enrolled in an executive health program at Human Longevity, a Silicon Valley clinic that uses a combination of full-body imaging, blood tests, and genomic sequencing to evaluate health risks and longevity. The comprehensive assessment cost about $12,000.
The experience, which took around four hours, included a whole-body MRI, extensive blood work, and genetic sequencing. The results were a mix of reassurance and unexpected concerns.
Most importantly, my cancer screening results were encouraging. My MRI scans showed no abnormalities, my arteries had no calcification, and a specialized blood test designed to detect signals from over 50 types of cancer came back negative.
When I spoke with Dr. Keon Pearson, a clinician at the clinic, he highlighted that my pancreatic cancer risk was low, supported by normal CA19-9 biomarker levels and a negative GRAIL Galleri liquid biopsy test.
Overall, I was told there was a 99% chance I was cancer-free, which was a significant relief given my family history.
Genetic sequencing further confirmed the absence of high-risk inherited mutations linked to hereditary cancer syndromes among more than 2,000 conditions screened. That news brought some comfort, but other findings were more complex.
At 6-foot-4 and 246 pounds, my body mass index registered 30.1, technically in the obese range. However, Dr.
Pearson noted that BMI alone doesn’t tell the whole story. My body-fat percentage was slightly above the clinic’s preferred range for men at 23.6%, but my skeletal muscle index was remarkably high-“one of the highest I’ve seen,” he said.
My bone density was strong, ranking in the 84th percentile, and my coronary artery calcium score was zero, indicating no arterial calcification.
Still, there were areas for improvement. My liver fat percentage was within normal limits but above the clinic’s optimal target for longevity.
More concerning was my elevated lipoprotein(a), a cholesterol-related particle that increases the risk for heart attack and stroke. This marker is genetically determined and doesn’t respond to diet or exercise, meaning medication is often necessary to manage it.
The genetic results also revealed some surprises. I am a carrier for several recessive disorders, including phenylalanine hydroxylase deficiency (PKU), which can cause severe brain damage if untreated. Fortunately, carrying only one copy means I do not have the disease, nor is there a risk for my children since my wife does not carry the gene.
Neurological risks were more troubling. I carry one APOE3 gene and one APOE4 gene, which elevates my lifetime risk of Alzheimer’s disease compared to the general population, though all my grandparents lived without dementia. Additionally, my genetic risk for Parkinson’s disease was in the 99th percentile, but the absolute lifetime risk remains relatively low at about 2.7%.
On a positive note, I carry a variant of the FOXO3 gene, associated with a higher likelihood of living past age 90-a comforting connection to my maternal grandfather, who lived to 98.
While the tests couldn’t predict exactly how long I’ll live, they provided valuable insight into the risks encoded in my DNA versus those I can influence through lifestyle choices. Some factors are fixed, but how I play the hand I’ve been dealt is still very much in my control.