The American scientists Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak discovered that telomeres are indicators of the body’s age, for which they were awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine. This discovery has stimulated the development of new therapeutic strategies in the treatment of malignant diseases and research on the aging process.
 
Telomeres are protective structures at the ends of chromosomes, which become shorter with each cell division. Excessive shortening of telomeres causes cell aging and it is precisely the accumulation of old cells in the tissues that is the main sign of the aging process. Since telomeres also gradually shorten during a person’s lifetime, it is possible to monitor the progression of aging in a population statistically.

The shortening of telomeres depends on several factors, such as genetics, social conditions and living habits, primarily diet, recreation and mental health. Therefore, the length of telomeres and the dynamics of their shortening vary from person to person, which makes this area of medicine highly interesting.

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