Birthdays versus biology: writer Joanna Wane on the Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail, days before her final DNA blood test.
Birthdays versus biology: writer Joanna Wane on the Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail, days before her final DNA blood test.
Is it really possible to make yourself younger? Joanna Wane is about to find out.
Right now, a pinprick of my blood is sitting in a US lab waiting for the DNA to be extracted, analysed, reviewed and computed. The results, according to the latest “kit status” report, are duearound January 22.
The moment of truth is almost upon me and I have to confess, I’m nervous. Too late now for restraint (step away from that glass of wine and bowl of fat-soaked, salt-drenched chips). Too late to book in for that extra gym class. Too late to commit to a daily meditation routine that might stop my blood pressure spiking every time I start worrying about the state of the world. Good luck with that one.
The passage of time is a merciless thing, wrote Tennessee Williams. And old age, as my father-in-law used to say, isn’t for sissies. But what if it were possible to not only slow down time but actually turn back the clock?
A year ago, staring down the barrel of a “significant birthday”, I set myself a challenge: to reduce my biological age before I tipped into a new decade. The DNA test I signed up for essentially looks at whether my body’s physical deterioration at a cellular level matches the number of candles on my cake. It also reveals how fast I’m ageing each year, using an algorithm that draws on data from the internationally renowned Dunedin Study.
From cancer and heart disease to arthritis and cognitive decline, age is the primary risk factor for almost every chronic and life-threatening disease. And although you can’t change your DNA, you can potentially change the epigenetic factors that regulate your genes and cause them to malfunction, from the impact of stress and pollution to whether or not you smoke.
That first test, a year ago, gave me some baseline data to work with. So began a gentle regime of “cleaner” living, from taking daily anti-ageing supplements developed by Auckland biotechnology company SRW to more alcohol-free days and a hypnotherapy session to stop grinding my teeth.
Hippos have the most powerful bite force of any land mammal. A teeth grinder since childhood, writer Joanna Wane reckons she comes a close second. Photo / Greg Bowker
A follow-up test six months later showed my slow rate of ageing holding steady at 0.71, a positive result. The fastest rate recorded so far is 1.4, which means that in one chronological year, a person is ageing biologically by almost five extra months. The other good news was a significant increase in the length of my telomeres, the protective caps on the tips of chromosome DNA strands that are a predictor of lifespan and age-related disease.
The final 12-month report will track my progress since then and include the results of a new predictive algorithm, developed by US company TruDiagnostics in partnership with Harvard University, which not only assesses biological age but also identifies the most likely factors contributing to any age acceleration.
It’s a nerve-racking wait and, after going public with my challenge so far, there’ll be nowhere to hide. But data will always only be part of the picture. In November, I celebrated my 60th birthday with a group of friends in Ōamaru, after we emerged from a five-day ride on the Alps to Ocean cycle trail. Sure, I was on an e-bike, but it was a blast.
Pole vaulter Eliza McCartney, back on the road to the Paris Olympics. Photo / Babiche Martens
Some of the other stories that have stayed with me this year were about three very different women who’ve faced enormous challenges in their lives and come out the other side.
In April, I wrote about pole vaulter Eliza McCartney’s courageous comeback from years of debilitating injuries, after flying to a surprise bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Games, at the age of 19. She’s now qualified for next year’s Olympics in Paris.
A few months later, I spent five weeks inside Auckland boxer Mea Motu’s training camp and then watched this fierce mother of four — the survivor of a violent, controlling relationship — successfully defend her world title in only her third year as a professional fighter. And in one of the most extraordinary pieces of theatre I’ve ever seen, Australian actor Eryn Jean Norvill completed a triumphant return from exile with her one-woman tour de force performance in The Picture of Dorian Gray.
But life is also about embracing failure, not just celebrating success. US writer Chris Kraus — best known for her semi-autobiographical book I Love Dick and the TV series based on it, starring Kevin Bacon — survived a near-catastrophic career disaster with her first feature film, Gravity and Grace, which was filmed partly in New Zealand. A play based on a book she wrote about the experience will be one of the highlights at the Auckland Arts Festival next March. Kraus talked to me from her home in Los Angeles and you can read all about that in the New Year.
Joanna Wane is an award-winning senior feature writer in the New Zealand Herald’s Lifestyle Premium team, with a special focus on social issues and the arts.
