An insurance company headquartered in Minnesota recently made news as the first to analyse biomarkers of life insurance policy owners. GWC Life, which buys life insurance policies, asked policyholders for a saliva sample “to see whether certain genes are switched on or off at hundreds of specific spots. In theory, that could help the company predict your life span,” reported Stat, a news website.
Perhaps the most ‘taken-for-granted’ fluid in the human body, saliva is a source of all kinds of information, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), United States. It is a key to the pathological and the disease biomarker library hidden inside our bodies.
“Saliva is a source of our genetic material, and is commonly used to determine genetic risk factors and also the source of your ancestry,” says Supriya Gaitonde, applications scientist, Salimetrics, US.
Hormones and small proteins are also routinely tested for in the saliva, including the stress hormone cortisol, and the sleep hormone melatonin, she says.
Gastroenterologist and Director, Zen Hospital, Dr Roy Patankar says, “With the help of tests such as Salivary Amylase, the functioning of the pancreas can be measured. You can also study an infection called H. pilory that causes an ulcer in the stomach.”
