Telomere Lifestyle Score
Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that tend to shorten with age. Their length can only be measured in a laboratory, and results vary a lot between people and between methods. This page does not estimate your telomere length or a "telomere age". It gives a transparent points score for habits that studies have linked with telomere length on average.
Before you start
Method : Telomere lifestyle score — a custom points score written by this site. Each answer adds or subtracts the points shown in the Methodology table below.
Validation : Unvalidated. The points have never been tested against any laboratory measurement or health outcome, and the result is not an age.
Review : not reviewed by a qualified clinician. Educational only — not a diagnosis or a medical test.
This does not measure telomere length. That requires a laboratory test.
Your answers stay in this browser tab; nothing is sent or stored.
Answer the questions, then press Calculate score.
How to Use This Calculator
- Answer each question.
- Press Calculate score.
- Read the breakdown.
Methodology & assumptions
Your score is the sum of the points below. The weights are our own judgement and are not taken from any study. Questions that cannot indicate telomere length (appearance, grey hair, healing speed, energy, immunity) were removed.
| Factor | Answer | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Smoking | Never | 0 |
| Former | +1 | |
| Current | +3 | |
| Physical activity | Little or none | +2 |
| 1–2 days a week | +1 | |
| 3–4 days a week | 0 | |
| 5+ days a week | -1 | |
| Usual diet | Mostly processed / fast food | +2 |
| Mixed | 0 | |
| Mostly vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes | -1 | |
| Sleep per night | Under 6 hours | +1 |
| 6 hours or more | 0 | |
| Ongoing stress | Low | 0 |
| Moderate | 0 | |
| High most of the time | +1 | |
| Body mass index (BMI, kg/m²) | Under 25 | 0 |
| 25–29.9 | +1 | |
| 30 or more | +2 |
Worked examples
Current smoker, little activity, mostly processed food, under 6 h sleep, high stress, BMI 31: 3 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 2 = +11 points.
Never smoked, active 5+ days, mostly whole foods, 7 h sleep, low stress, BMI 23: 0 − 1 − 1 + 0 + 0 + 0 = −2 points.
Understanding your result
The score describes your answers only. It cannot tell you your telomere length, your cellular age or your disease risk. Links between habits and telomere length come from group averages and are often small.
Sources & further reading
The points table is our own convention and is not taken from this review.
Frequently Asked Questions
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