An investigation in the French newspaper Le Figaro reviews a new phenomenon growing among some French people, which is resorting to DNA tests, often outside France due to legal restrictions, with the aim of predicting what may happen to them in the future and delaying aging.
Coleen Lomme’s investigation begins with the story of Louise Etchegaray, 39 years old, who sent a sample of her DNA to an American company to discover the “possible” risk, as she put it, of developing diabetes at the age of 60 or ocular degeneration at the age of 75.
This shocking diagnosis, as Louise describes it, made this woman design a new life project for herself based on daily exercise, stopping sugar, and constant exposure to natural light.
Thus, Louise embarked on a silent journey to delay aging and thus postpone death, as she believes. She is convinced that DNA tests and genetic screening are the key, and today, many share this belief, despite the French ban on such tests, according to the author.
Here, Lomi quotes doctor Christine Louis-Vadat as saying that French legal restrictions do not allow genetic testing except within a strict medical framework, as is the case in cancer genetics, for example, to assess risks and preventive measures, such as strengthening surveillance, and therefore those interested go abroad or to “secret” clinics.
Among them is Thomas, 47 years old, who underwent a comprehensive examination in Houston and discovered a “strong susceptibility to heart disease,” and as a result, after returning to Paris, he completely reprogrammed his life through intermittent fasting, tracking devices, and a strict diet.
Charlotte Calve Granet, founder of the “Longevity Culture Club,” sees this trend as a cultural shift: “Longevity has become a social goal, and is almost turning into a doctrine.” As for the philosopher Emanuele Clarizio, he links this phenomenon to “individualism and the fear of degradation,” as, through it, a person becomes obsessed with the idea of controlling his biological destiny, according to his opinion.
Lomi sees in the story of Marianne, 52 years old, the most sensitive face of this phenomenon, as she explains that she collapsed after a nuclear examination revealed to her that she carries the APOE gene that predisposes to Alzheimer’s. She describes what happened to her, saying: “At first I cried, then I realized that it was an opportunity” that would enable her to make her brain a “life project,” and she thus estimates what she will invest in this project at about 1,000 euros per month in nutrition, mental exercise, and medical support.
But specialists warn, according to the author, of the danger of a widening gap between those who have the financial ability to access these technologies and those who do not. However, there are also those who believe that those who are enthusiastic about this technology will later contribute to the spread of these services and make them accessible to many.
On the other hand, Ismail Emilian, co-founder of the “Zoe” clinic specializing in medical examinations, stresses the need to differentiate between prevention and prediction, calling for opening the way for these tests within a controlled and monitored medical framework.”
Cancer specialist and founder of the Institute for Prevention and Longevity, Dr. Fabrice Dini, also warns against random tests without medical supervision, citing cases of panic that struck some patients, but he mentions the amazing capabilities of genetic medicine, such as preventing hundreds of cases of clots by knowing women’s susceptibility to the effects of certain hormones.
Louise concludes her investigation by saying that today Louise has given up sugar, Thomas is counting his heartbeats, Marianne is strengthening her memory, and each of them, in their own way, is trying to challenge what she calls: “coincidence” and impose simple logic on the secret of life in the hope of arriving at a future that a person can control.