56 | id == 56
56 | category_id == 9
56 | category_order == 6
56 | category_name == Longevity
56 | category_color == #C47AC0
56 | slug == longevity-OBFC1
56 | title == Are Your Chromosomes Protected From Damage? (OBFC1)
56 | meta_description == OBFC1 and the CST complex protect chromosomes from damage, helping prevent premature aging. Which OBFC1 variants do you carry?
56 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>Humans have evolved a complex series of defense mechanisms to protect chromosomes from damage. If these defenses are not working correctly, they may potentially&nbsp;contribute to premature aging. Read on to learn all about <em>OBFC1</em>, the CST complex, and how they can affect age-related disease.</strong></p>
56 | overall_score_text == Longevity Score (Based on OBFC1 Gene)
56 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/OBFC1--Telomere-length.jpg
56 | author_id == 1
56 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
56 | author_title == BSc, BEd
56 | author_order == 36
56 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
56 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
56 | reviewer_id == 2
56 | reviewer_name == Joe Cohen
56 | reviewer_title == BS
56 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
56 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
56 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
56 | publish_date == 2019
56 | publish_date == 10
56 | publish_date == 9
56 | avg_rating == 5.0
56 | tags_id == 179
56 | tags_name == Age-Related Disease
56 | tags_id == 164
56 | tags_name == Cancer
56 | tags_id == 177
56 | tags_name == CST Complex
56 | tags_id == 127
56 | tags_name == Diabetes Type 2
56 | tags_id == 134
56 | tags_name == Heart Disease
56 | tags_id == 178
56 | tags_name == Premature Aging
56 | tags_id == 162
56 | tags_name == Telomeres
56 | permissions_favorite == False
56 | permissions_rate == False
56 | content_article == <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What is <em>OBFC1</em>?</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The gene </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">OBFC1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> codes for one of the proteins that makes up the <em>CST complex</em>, a structure that helps protect your chromosomes from damage.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If this complex isn&rsquo;t working correctly, the telomeres could shorten too quickly. Some researchers believe that shortened telomeres may contribute to premature aging [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/79991"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5551977/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3370421/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In multiple studies, abnormally short telomeres have been associated with age-related diseases, including [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3370421/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3861448/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]:</span></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coronary heart disease</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Atherosclerosis</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Heart failure</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Heart attack (up to 3 times more common in people with shortened telomeres!) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12649083/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diabetes</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many cancers</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Osteoporosis</span></li> </ul> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How Does the CST Complex Work?</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The CST complex binds to the ends of telomeres, non-coding segments of DNA that prevent damage during cell reproduction. For a primer on how telomeres work, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/telomerase-telomeres-aging/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">check out this post</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3041159/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In summary, each one of your chromosomes has a cap made of non-coding DNA called a telomere. Telomeres are physical barriers between your genes and enzymes that could damage them during cell division. As we age, our telomeres gradually shorten; some researchers have used this fact to imply that people with longer telomeres may live longer lives [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3896987/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The CST complex appears to have two major functions:</span></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Physically protecting telomeres (and the rest of the chromosome) from damage [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3041159/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Regulating the </span><a href="../article/longevity-tert-51"><span style="font-weight: 400;">telomerase</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> enzyme by both supporting its function &amp; putting a limit on how often it can bind to DNA [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5551977/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3041159/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In short, the CST complex&rsquo;s job is to make sure telomeres don&rsquo;t get too short </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">or</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> too long [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3041159/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3041159/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The CST complex is a group of proteins that protect your chromosomes from damage. They make sure telomeres don&rsquo;t get too short <em>or</em> too long. Poor CST complex function may lead to premature aging.</span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Your <em>OBFC1</em> Results for Longevity</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*4662392986138284*</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*6892659612445147*</strong></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Frequency in Population</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Population frequencies of these SNPs vary a lot between ethnic groups. Generally speaking, the long-telomere-associated alleles are much more common in African descendants than in any other group on the planet.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, though only 22% of all people have at least one &lsquo;G&rsquo; (long telomere) allele at </span><a href="../../snp/rs10786775/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs10786775</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, almost 60% of people of African descent do. Likewise, at </span><a href="../../snp/rs4387287/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs4387287</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, 16% of all people have the long-telomere-associated &lsquo;AA&rsquo; genotype, while 51% of African descendants do!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The reverse is true of European descendants, who tend to have fewer of the long-telomere-associated alleles: at </span><a href="../../snp/rs4387287/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs4387287</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, only 2.4% of Europeans have the &lsquo;AA&rsquo; genotype.</span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Recommendations to Lengthen Telomeres</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unfortunately, very little research has been done on any substances that may interact with </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">OBFC1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. However, because the CST complex stabilizes and protects telomeres, we can look at recommendations that increase telomere length to potentially counteract any harmful </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">OBFC1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This uncertainty makes it especially important to talk to your physician about any strategies you want to use to protect yourself against premature aging due to shortened telomeres. Together, you can figure out the best strategies to extend your life.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">*7033019548110728*</p> <h5 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Lifestyle</strong></h5> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to several studies, people who are under a lot of psychological </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/63-factors-raising-stress-cortisol-level-backed-science/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">stress</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> have shorter telomeres than those who aren&rsquo;t stressed or who manage stress well. Some stressors may be difficult or impossible to remove from your life, but if you can, you may want to try to de-stress with hobbies like </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/meditation/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">meditation</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-yoga/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">yoga</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a few human studies, people who took part in these activities had longer telomeres and improved age-related markers of health [</span><a href="https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5278216/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19735236"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6134740/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h5 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Diet</strong></h5> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to one study people who eat the Mediterranean diet may have longer telomeres than those who don&rsquo;t. Some researchers and proponents of the Mediterranean also frequently claim that it can improve markers of aging and even extend lifespan [</span><a href="http://www.bmj.com/cgi/doi/10.1136/bmj.g6674"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6279126/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5902736/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EGCG</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, an active component in </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">green tea</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, has been associated with longer telomeres in rats. According to some researchers, EGCG has also been linked to healthy aging, reduced incidence of cancer, and longevity [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22000973"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4286704/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Caloric restriction and </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/intermittent-fasting/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">intermittent fasting</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are controversial as a means of telomere extension. In animal studies, calorie restriction has increased telomere length, but human studies have been contradictory and additional research is required. Still, </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/intermittent-fasting/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">intermittent fasting</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and calorie restriction have been tentatively linked to longer lifespan, so they may be worth a try [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3551964/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5389018/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6128599/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h5 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Supplements</strong></h5> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A few supplements may lengthen telomeres. The first, and perhaps the most dramatic, is </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/astragalus/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">astragalus</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">: one study suggests that an active component of astragalus directly stimulates </span><a href="../article/longevity-TERT-51"><span style="font-weight: 400;">telomerase</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> activity, while a small human trial found that people who used astragalus supplements had longer telomeres than those who didn&rsquo;t [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5758356/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5178008/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In mice, nicotinamide mononucleotide (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/nicotinamide-mononucleotide/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">NMN</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) supplementation has been associated with longer telomeres; This is one of the reasons why NMN has a reputation as an anti-aging supplement, though additional research is required to pin down its effect on humans [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30930169"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6342515/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As mentioned above, <a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/green-tea/">EGCG</a> (from green tea or as a supplement) may be positively linked to telomere length and lifespan [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22000973">R</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4286704/">R</a>].</span></p>
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56 | content_learn_more_6892659612445147_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your CST complex includes variants that may be somewhat associated with chromosome damage and, possibly, premature aging. Fortunately, early research suggests that lifestyle, diet, and supplement changes may be able to stabilize and lengthen your telomeres. Keep scrolling to learn more.
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rsIDs = rs10786775,rs4387287
rsStatus = rs10786775,STN1,chr10,103897558,G,A,C,T,43,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs4387287,STN1,chr10,103918139,A,C,G,,6,31,HET
