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Healthspan and DNA: how a genetic test can help you plan for healthier ageing

By Andre Ling, Co-Founder, MyDNA

Living longer is only half the goal. The other half is staying well while you do it. That is healthspan: the years you live in good health, without serious illness or disability.

Singapore shows why the distinction matters. The Ministry of Health’s latest figures (2023) put life expectancy at 85.4 years and health-adjusted life expectancy at 74.1 years. The difference, 11.2 years, has crept up from 10.6 years in 2014.

That is a population average, not a forecast for you. It does show that for many people the final stretch of life comes with reduced health, and that is the stretch most of us would like to shorten.

Singapore, 2023: bars showing life expectancy of 85.4 years and health-adjusted life expectancy of 74.1 years, an 11.2 year gap, with the 2014 gap of 10.6 years noted

What healthspan depends on

Five icons for heart, blood sugar, bones and joints, memory, and eyes and hearing

Healthspan is shaped by long-term conditions that tend to build quietly: the heart and blood vessels, blood sugar and metabolism, bones and joints, memory, eyesight and hearing. Many of them give little warning in the early years.

The earlier you know where your body leans, the longer you have to act on it.

What a DNA test cannot do

  • It is not a medical test or a health screening. It shows predisposition, which means likelihood, not certainty.
  • A higher-risk result does not mean you have a condition or will develop it.
  • A lower-risk result does not mean you are protected.
  • It cannot tell you your health today. Blood tests, scans and check-ups with your doctor do that.

Genetics accounts for roughly 30% of health outcomes. The other 70% is what you do with it. A DNA test helps you aim that 70% better.

Where a DNA test helps

The reports in the MyDNA DNA Test cover the areas that matter most for healthy ageing.

1. Heart and circulation

A smiling older man in a cycling helmet sits on his bike on a tree-lined pedestrian street
High blood pressureAtrial fibrillationAtherosclerosisStrokeTriglyceride levelLDL cholesterol levelHDL cholesterol level

Heart and blood-vessel conditions often develop without symptoms. Regular blood pressure and cholesterol checks matter whatever your result. Knowing your predisposition can help you and your doctor decide how closely to follow them, and your consultant can help you plan the lifestyle side.

2. Blood sugar and metabolism

Sliced grilled chicken with salad leaves and roasted sweet potato on a white plate
Type 2 diabetesInsulin resistanceObesityResting metabolic rateHigh fat diet responseHigh protein diet response

These reports show how your body tends to handle food and energy, so your plan can be built around you instead of around generic diet advice.

3. Bones and joints

A woman in her fifties holds a kettlebell in a squat during a group strength class
OsteoporosisOsteoarthritisChronic back painVitamin D levelCalcium level

Strong bones are built early and protected later. These reports help you prioritise movement and nutrition for your skeleton well before it becomes a concern.

4. Brain and memory

Two older men concentrate over a game of chess
Aging and memoryAge and cognitive functionLong-term memoryExercise and memory improvementAlzheimer’s disease

Some of these reports are sensitive. Your consultant goes through them with you in person, and you decide which ones you want to focus on. The habits that support a healthy brain are the same ones that support everything else, so a plan does not depend on any one result.

5. Eyes and hearing

Macular degenerationCataractHearing loss

These are changes people often put off checking. A report can be the prompt to book the eye or hearing check you have been meaning to.

6. Cancer predispositions

Thirty reports cover predisposition to common cancers. They show likelihood compared with the wider population, never a diagnosis. Their practical use is giving you something to discuss with your GP when you talk about screening. Screening decisions are always between you and your doctor.

And how you respond to medicines

As the years go on, more people take regular medicines. The drug-response reports, such as Response to statin (1) and Response to metformin, are worth raising with your doctor or pharmacist. MyDNA never advises starting, stopping or changing a medicine. Always speak to your doctor or pharmacist before changing anything.

From results to a plan

A MyDNA consultant smiles and shows a client a plan on a tablet

A report on its own is a long document. What helps healthspan is a short plan you will actually follow.

  1. A consultant collects your sample in person, at your home, office or another convenient place in Singapore.
  2. Your results arrive in 10 to 14 days in a secure online account. Reports are updated as research advances, at no extra cost.
  3. Your consultant looks first at what runs in your family, then at the reports that matter most to you. They explain what predisposition does and does not mean.
  4. You leave with a plan: habits for food, movement, sleep and recovery, with personalised nutritional support where your report and goals point to it.
  5. A Nutrition Scan gives you a snapshot of today, and a follow-up session lets you see how the plan is going.

The consultation is included with the kit, with no separate fee.

Is it worth testing early?

Your DNA does not change, so there is no wrong age to learn it. Earlier knowledge simply gives you longer to act on it. If you are already in your 50s or 60s, the same information tells you where to put your effort from here.

Your genetics are a blueprint, not your destiny.

Ready to find out how you are wired?

Explore the MyDNA DNA Test, or talk to a consultant. Helix, our assistant, takes a few details first and then connects you with the team.

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Related: lifespan, healthspan and peakspan explained and peakspan and DNA.
Sources: Ministry of Health Singapore, Parliamentary Question 1856, 8 September 2026 (Global Burden of Disease 2023 estimates).
MyDNA provides direct-to-consumer genetic testing for wellness and informational purposes. It is not a medical diagnostic test and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, health screening or treatment. Genetic predisposition indicates likelihood, not certainty. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your personal health, and before starting any supplement, particularly if you are pregnant, have an existing condition, or take prescribed medication.